Uncategorized
Cuomo narrows Mamdani’s lead, as older voters flock to the polls for early voting
This piece first ran as part of The Countdown, our daily newsletter rounding up all the developments in the New York City mayor’s race. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. There is one week to the election.
Cuomo narrows in
-
Who are the early voters heading in droves to the polls? Data indicates that most of them so far are older New Yorkers — an encouraging sign for Andrew Cuomo, according to Gothamist.
-
Voters over 55 made up more than 50% of the turnout in the first two days of early voting this weekend. Recent polling from Quinnipiac indicates that Cuomo is tied with Zohran Mamdani for voters aged 50 to 64, while he has a slight lead with his fellow boomers over 65.
-
Meanwhile, Mamdani has a significant lead with voters under 49 years old.
-
Mamdani told reporters that he wasn’t worried about the surge of older voters, but his campaign said differently in an email to his supporters on Monday.
-
“We’re 3 days into early voting, turnout is already 5 times higher than the 2021 mayoral election — and the highest number of early voters so far are in age brackets where Cuomo either ties or leads Zohran in the latest polls,” said an email that urged Mamdani’s base to get out the vote.
- During the primary, which Mamdani won, younger voters surged in early voting.
Numbers to know
-
Cuomo has cut Mamdani’s lead in half a week before the election, according to a poll released Monday from Suffolk University.
-
Mamdani now leads with 44% of the vote to Cuomo’s 34%, followed by Republican Curtis Sliwa with 11%. The remaining pool of voters includes 7% who are undecided.
-
Suffolk’s last poll in September, when Mayor Eric Adams was still in the race, showed Mamdani 20 points ahead of Cuomo at 45% to 25%.
-
David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, argued that Sliwa was the “one person in New York City whose voters could have an outsized impact on the outcome.”
-
Sliwa’s 11% of voters could be the key blocking Cuomo from victory, said Paleologos, who added that 36% of these voters picked Cuomo as a second choice and only 2% chose Mamdani.
-
Sliwa has repeatedly rebuffed calls to quit. It’s too late to take names off the ballot — Adams and Jim Walden, who also dropped out, will appear after missing the deadline to remove their names — and votes that have already been cast cannot be redirected.
‘This man is not an antisemite’
-
Manhattan state Sen. Liz Krueger, an influential Jewish Democrat who has served in the state government since 2002, greeted voters in her district with Mamdani on Monday.
-
Krueger called herself “a Jew and a Zionist.” She said of Mamdani, “This man is not an antisemite,” according to New York Daily News reporter Chris Sommerfeldt.
-
Krueger endorsed Mamdani in September after backing Brad Lander in the primary. She admitted that Mamdani was “less experienced” but said that meeting with him and learning about his positions persuaded her to support him.
-
Krueger represents much of the Upper East Side and Midtown, and her district turned out strongly for Cuomo in the Democratic primary.
Endorsing from the Knesset
-
Ahmad Tibi, a Palestinian-Israeli member of the Knesset — Israel’s legislature — since 1999, gave his endorsement to Mamdani yesterday.
-
“A young eloquent visionary who brings a fresh spirit of social justice and universal values to the New York elections, Zohran is a leader who unites all the city’s communities: Christians, Muslims and Jews,” Tibi said in a speech in Hebrew.
-
Tibi also noted the “racist and Islamophobic attacks” on Mamdani by his critics and opponents in recent weeks. “I’m confident he will defeat the racists for the benefit of all New Yorkers, becoming a symbol of unity, tolerance and hope,” he said, adding a “Go Zohran” cheer in Hebrew, English and Arabic.
Rabbis go to the polls
-
Chaim Steinmetz and Elliot Cosgrove, two prominent Upper East Side rabbis, went to the polls together on Sunday. Steinmetz shared a photo of them arm-in-arm with “I voted early” stickers, writing, “How good and pleasant it is for rabbis to vote together.”
-
Both Steinmetz and Cosgrove have urged their congregations to vote against Mamdani.
-
Cosgrove’s sermon decrying Mamdani was quoted in an open letter signed by more than 1,000 rabbis across the country, which warned that Mamdani would endanger “Jews in every city.” But Cosgrove himself has not signed the letter, telling us that is his policy.
Rosenberg rallies against Mamdani
-
Sid Rosenberg, the right-wing Jewish shock jock who recently said Mamdani would celebrate another 9/11 attack during an interview with Cuomo, spoke at a press conference focused on consolidating support against Mamdani yesterday. He reemphasized the 9/11 remark, saying, “I really meant it.”
-
“Everything America stands for, everything New York City stands for, everything good New Yorkers and Jewish people stand for, this guy wants to destroy,” Rosenberg said. He was flanked by Dov Hikind, an Orthodox politician who was Sliwa’s strongest Jewish ally until switching his support to Cuomo on Sunday, and actor Michael Rapaport.
-
Rapaport, who has emerged as a leading pro-Israel influencer, has been a vocal and often crude critic of Mamdani.
Mamdani on Jon Stewart
-
The 9/11 controversy also came up during Mamdani’s interview on “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart on Monday night.
-
“You are clearly right now in the front-running position,” Stewart said to Mamdani. “I can tell, because they’ve gone 9/11 on you.”
-
Mamdani had a friendly audience with the left-wing comedian, who said in July, “People yell at me about what I say sometimes about Palestine and what’s going on in Israel and they call me a ‘bad Jew.’” The interview did not touch on Israel or the war in Gaza.
‘800-pound gorilla’
-
President Trump, who has frequently opined on the race, could come out on top regardless of the victor, according to Politico.
-
Mamdani would give Trump a left-wing foil to exploit as he continues to deploy federal power in Democratic cities like Portland, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.
-
Meanwhile, Cuomo faces a potential Justice Department inquiry into whether he lied to Congress. That could give Trump the kind of leverage he wielded over Adams, whose federal corruption charges were dropped in a move seen as making him beholden to Trump.
-
Rev. Ruben Diaz, a former state and city lawmaker and Trump ally, told Politico that “Trump is in a good position no matter what happens on Nov. 4.” He added, “Any one of them will have a losing battle against Trump. He is an 800-pound gorilla.”
—
The post Cuomo narrows Mamdani’s lead, as older voters flock to the polls for early voting appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Uncategorized
‘For As Long As Necessary’: Katz Says Campaign Against Iran Entering Decisive Stage
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias make statements to the press, at the Ministry of Defense in Athens Greece, Jan. 20, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
i24 News – Israel Katz said Saturday that the confrontation with Iran had entered a “decisive phase,” as US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets continued and regional tensions escalated.
Speaking after a security assessment at Israel’s defense headquarters alongside Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, and senior military and intelligence officials, the Israeli defense minister said the campaign against the Islamic Republic would continue “for as long as necessary.”
“The global and regional struggle against Iran, led by American President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is intensifying and entering its decisive phase,” Katz said.
Katz also praised US strikes on Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil hub, describing them as a “severe blow” to the Iranian regime. He said the attacks were an appropriate response to Iranian threats against the strategic Strait of Hormuz and to what he called Tehran’s attempts to pressure the international community.
At the same time, Katz said the Israeli Air Force was continuing a “powerful wave of attacks” against targets in Tehran and other parts of Iran.
He accused the Iranian leadership of using “regional and global terrorism” and strategic blackmail in an effort to deter Israel and the United States from pursuing their military campaign, warning that such actions would be met with a “strong and uncompromising response.”
Katz added that the outcome of the conflict would ultimately depend on the Iranian population. “Only the Iranian people can put an end to this situation through a determined struggle, until the overthrow of the terrorist regime and the salvation of Iran,” he said.
According to the minister, the confrontation now pits the Iranian regime’s determination to survive against growing military pressure from Israel and its allies.
Uncategorized
Trump Rejects Efforts to Launch Iran Ceasefire Talks, Sources Say
US President Donald Trump speaks on the day he honors reigning Major League Soccer (MLS) champion Inter Miami CF players and team officials with an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 5, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump’s administration has rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war that started two weeks ago with a massive US-Israeli air assault, according to three sources familiar with the efforts.
Iran, for its part, has rejected the possibility of any ceasefire until US and Israeli strikes end, two senior Iranian sources told Reuters, adding that several countries had been trying to mediate an end to the conflict.
The lack of interest from Washington and Tehran suggests both sides are digging in for an extended conflict, even as the widening war inflicts civilian casualties and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz sends oil prices soaring.
US strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export hub, on Friday night underscored Trump’s determination to press ahead with his military assault. Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut and threatened to step up attacks on neighboring countries.
The war has killed more than 2,000 people, mostly in Iran, and created the biggest-ever oil supply disruption as maritime traffic has halted in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.
ATTEMPTS TO OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION
Oman, which mediated talks before the war, has tried multiple times to open a line of communication, but the White House has made clear it is not interested, according to two sources, who like others in this story were granted anonymity in order to speak freely about diplomatic matters.
A senior White House official confirmed Trump has rebuffed those efforts to start talks and is focused on pressing ahead with the war to further weaken Tehran’s military capabilities.
“He’s not interested in that right now, and we’re going to continue with the mission unabated. Maybe there’s a day, but not right now,” the official said.
During the first week of the war, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Iran’s leadership and military were so battered by US-Israeli strikes that they wanted to talk, but that it was “Too Late!” He has a history of shifting foreign policy stances without warning, making it hard to rule out that he might test the waters for restarting diplomacy.
“President Trump said new potential leadership in Iran has indicated they want to talk and eventually will talk. For now, Operation Epic Fury continues unabated,” a second senior White House official said when asked to comment on this story.
The Iranian sources said Tehran has rejected efforts by several countries to negotiate a ceasefire until the US and Israel end their airstrikes and meet Iran’s demands, which include a permanent end to US and Israeli attacks and compensation as part of a ceasefire.
Egypt, which was involved in mediation before the war, has also tried to reopen communications, according to three security and diplomatic sources. While the efforts do not appear to have made progress, they have secured some military restraint from neighboring countries hit by Iran, according to one of the sources.
Egypt’s foreign ministry, the government of Oman and the Iranian government did not respond to requests for comment.
POSITIONS HARDEN ON ALL SIDES
The war’s impact on global oil markets has significantly increased the cost for the United States.
Some US officials and advisers to Trump urge a quick end to the war, warning that surging gasoline prices could exact a high political price from the president’s Republican Party, with US midterm elections looming.
Others are pressing Trump to maintain the offensive against the Islamic Republic to destroy its missile program and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon, according to Reuters reporting.
Trump’s rejection of diplomatic efforts could indicate that, for now, the administration has no plans for a quick end to the war.
Indeed, both the United States and Iran appear even less willing to engage than during the opening days of the war, when senior US officials reached out to Oman to discuss de-escalating, according to several sources.
One source said Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had also sought to use Oman as a conduit for ceasefire discussions that would have involved U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
But those discussions have not materialized.
Instead, Iran’s position has hardened, said a third senior Iranian source.
“Whatever was communicated previously through the diplomatic channels is irrelevant now,” said the source.
“The Guards strongly believe that if they lose control over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will lose the war,” the source added, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite paramilitary force that controls large parts of the economy.
“Therefore, the Guards will not accept any ceasefire, ceasefire talks, or diplomatic efforts, and Iran’s political leaders will not engage in such talks despite attempts by several countries.”
Uncategorized
US Strikes More Than 90 Iranian Military Targets on Kharg Island, CENTCOM Says
A satellite image shows an oil terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026. Photo: 2026 Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS
United States forces executed a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island in Iran on Friday night, the US Central Command said on Saturday.
“US forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure,” CENTCOM said.
The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, the US military said in a post on X.
President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to strike the oil infrastructure of Iran’s Kharg Island hub, unless Tehran stopped attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.