New York on the verge of choosing a new mayor, will history take a new turn

New York City is on the verge of choosing a new mayor. According to the latest survey, Democratic candidate Zohrab Mamdani is currently the frontrunner. A record number of voters have voted in advance in this largest metropolis in the United States. According to the New York City Election Board, more than 735,000 ballots have already been submitted.

This much-discussed election is also making headlines in the country's national media. Because, if Mamdani wins, he will be the city's first Muslim and South Asian-born mayor, as well as the first direct 'Democratic Socialist' leader. News from TRT World.

Mamdani has pledged to build an 'affordable city' to combat one of the most expensive living conditions in New York. His proposals include keeping rents fixed for rent-stabilized homes, free child care, free bus service across the city, and city-run grocery stores to provide affordable groceries.

He said the only way to pay for these costs would be to raise the corporate tax rate to 11.5 percent—the same as neighboring New Jersey—and impose an additional 2 percent tax on incomes over $1 million a year.

Mamdani’s main rival is former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary and is running as an independent. He has touted his long political experience as the best fit to lead the city. But his past controversies—particularly allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation—still haunt him. The U.S. Justice Department has called the allegations “credible.”

Meanwhile, Cuomo has received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Trump has called Mamdani a "communist" and threatened to cut off federal funding to New York if he wins.

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa has rejected calls to drop out of the race. But it is still uncertain how much that will affect the election results.

Mamdani is leading in early polls. According to Real Clear Politics' polls, Mamdani is ahead by an average of 14.3 percentage points. Their calculations are Mamdani: 46.1 percent, Cuomo: 31.8 percent, Sliwa 16.3 percent.

However, there are differences in the polls. A recent Atlas Intel survey has the gap at just 5 percentage points. Again, a The Hill/Emerson College survey has Mamdani's support at 50 percent - double Cuomo's.

Voting will begin at 6 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Tuesday (November 4) local time and will continue until 9 p.m. Anyone standing in line during that time will be able to vote. New Yorkers are now waiting - will history take a new turn?