With Hours Left in the Primary, the Stars Come Out for Mamdani

New York Times

9 hours ago

State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, whose insurgent candidacy in New York's Democratic mayoral primary was defined in part by an adept use of social media, has received a veritable buffet of endorsements in the race's final days from celebrities with large online followings.
The latest nod came from Emily Ratajkowski, a model and actress with more than 29 million followers on Instagram, who posted a video Tuesday with Mr. Mamdani. Wearing a 'Hot Girls For Zohran' shirt, Ms. Ratajkowski, a longtime supporter of Bernie Sanders, reminded New Yorkers of the tight margins that decided the last Democratic primary, in 2021. She added that younger voters would be pivotal in Tuesday's outcome and encouraged her New York City followers to go to the polls
'We know it's hot, but the time is now,' she said.
Like Mr. Sanders, who recently endorsed him, Mr. Mamdani has benefited from being perceived as the candidate of New York's cool kids, who have embraced his message that government must urgently address the city's affordability crisis. The backing of stars like the pop star Lorde and the 'Saturday Night Live' cast members Sarah Sherman and Bowen Yang has excited Mr. Mamdani's supporters as the candidate has surged to a close second place in the polls behind former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a moderate.
On Tuesday, Ms. Sherman participated in a phone bank for Mr. Mamdani along with Cynthia Nixon, the actress and former candidate for New York governor. Ms. Nixon has held fund-raisers for Mr. Mamdani and has regularly slammed Mr. Cuomo, whom she ran against in 2018.
Other high-profile figures who have backed Mr. Mamdani include the singer Maggie Rogers, the comedian John Early and the leftist podcaster Stavros Halkias, who lives in Astoria, Queens, which is part of Mr. Mamdani's Assembly district.
Whether these endorsements will translate to votes is unclear. At the very least, they serve as a stark reminder of the generational divide that has played out in the race, as Mr. Mamdani, 33, has fired up young progressives while Mr. Cuomo, 67, seeks to hold onto the support of older voters. Several notable older New Yorkers have backed Mr. Cuomo, including the former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, the singer Billy Joel and the fashion designers Michael Kors and Tory Burch.