NEW YORK CITY. Oct 21, 2025 – With just two weeks until Election Day, Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Kwame Mamdani unleashed a cheeky get-out-the-vote video Tuesday, cleverly pitching voters on the rare opportunity to support him not once, but twice—once for mayor and again for his state Assembly seat. The 53-second clip, posted to X by the 34-year-old democratic socialist assemblymember, has already racked up over 70,000 views, 4,200 likes, and hundreds of shares, blending humor with a urgent call to action amid a tightening race against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Filmed in a cozy setting with Mamdani seated in a suit against a plaid backdrop, the video opens with a knowing grin: “Do you know what’s better than voting for me once?” He pauses for effect before delivering the punchline: “Voting for me twice.” Mamdani explains that early voting kicks off October 25 and runs through November 2, with the general election on November 4—giving supporters a chance to cast ballots for him in both races on separate days. “That means you can vote for me twice,” he says, emphasizing the dual opportunity.
The assemblymember, representing Queens’ 36th district since 2021, takes a swipe at Cuomo, his chief rival in the race. “Andrew Cuomo says they lost the primary when they won the primary,” Mamdani quips, referencing polls that underestimated his primary victory in June. “Look at the things he lost when he won the primary. Andrew Cuomo… didn’t listen to those polls. So don’t wait to find out.” He urges viewers not to procrastinate until election night and invites them to sign up as volunteers at zohranfornyc.com/gotv, closing with a rallying cry: “Face to face, door to door, hand to hand… Because we need you.”
Mamdani’s ascent in the mayoral contest has electrified younger voters and progressives, highlighting deep generational divides within the Democratic Party. Once polling in single digits behind Cuomo—New York Democratic royalty for decades—the Ugandan-born, NYC-raised candidate now holds a double-digit lead, according to a recent AARP-Gotham poll. Analysts attribute his surge to savvy social media strategies and a platform focused on affordability: freezing rents, expanding public housing, and taxing the ultra-wealthy to fund universal childcare and transit. “Mere months ago, New York’s mayoral front-runner was polling right next to ‘Someone Else,'” noted a WIRED profile, crediting Mamdani’s internet-savvy appeal.
The video arrives on the heels of a heated first general election debate last week at 30 Rock, where Mamdani sparred with Cuomo over housing policy and Sliwa over public safety. Cuomo, who reentered politics after resigning amid scandals in 2021, has dismissed Mamdani’s lead as a “socialist mirage,” while Sliwa vows to stay in the race despite long odds, arguing it splits the anti-Cuomo vote. Establishment Democrats, including New Jersey figures like Sen. Cory Booker, have notably withheld endorsements, wary of Mamdani’s DSA ties and foreign policy stances.
Reactions to the post were predictably polarized, mirroring the race’s fault lines. Supporters hailed the lighthearted pitch as a masterstroke. “With the amount of troll farms and billionaires railing against you, you are doing something right,” wrote one X user. Another shared a meme captioned “Cook that creep,” referencing Cuomo. Mamdani himself followed up with a call to action: “Sign up to bring it home.”
Critics were less amused. “No one wants you commie,” posted one detractor alongside a mocking video. Others dredged up past controversies, including unverified claims about his mother’s alleged ties to Qatar and a former campaign volunteer’s criminal history. One user accused him of needing to “register as a foreign agent.” Comedian soul khan joked that Cuomo might spin the “vote twice” line as “textbook fraud.”
As early voting looms, Mamdani’s campaign—powered by grassroots volunteers and small-dollar donations—aims to mobilize the city’s diverse, working-class base. “Party bigwigs have not endorsed him and media criticism is intense, but Zohran Mamdani is poised to win,” observed Le Monde Diplomatique earlier this month. Whether his double-vote gambit translates to turnout remains to be seen, but in a city grappling with skyrocketing costs, Mamdani’s message of transformation resonates: “What if we actually mean it? When we say we want New Yorkers to be able to afford to live here.”
