Queens voters took to the polls to cast their votes in the crucial Democratic Mayoral primary amid sweltering conditions Tuesday.
At polling stations throughout the borough, voters braved the heat to cast their ballots in intense conditions as the race between former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani appeared to narrow considerably.
Mamdani, 33, has made significant ground in recent polls and seemed to enjoy strong support in Sunnyside early Tuesday morning.
The majority of voters interviewed by this publication outside the poll site at Queen of Angels Roman Catholic Parish Center at 43-18 Skillman Ave. indicated that they had voted for Mamdani in the Democratic primary, stating that the Astoria-based Assembly Member brings something new to Democratic politics.
Sunnyside resident Paco Tolson said he voted for Mamdani because he has a “really good vision for the city.” Tolson added that he is “fed up” with the status quo and said a vote for Cuomo would represent repeating mistakes that the Democrats made in the recent presidential election.
Tolson additionally praised the ranked-choice voting system that enabled him to list each of his favorite candidates on the ballot and said he would be “absolutely” in favor of using a similar system during the upcoming presidential elections.
“There were many good candidates, and thankfully, I was able to rank them in the order that I wanted,” Tolson said.
John, a Sunnyside resident who did not wish to disclose his second name, said he voted for Mamdani because Mamdani’s policies closely align with his political beliefs.
“I basically identify as a socialist and his platform obviously aligns with that,” John said. “I am in favor of the public services he will try to implement – the grocery stores, the free buses. Also, he’s not a Zionist,” John added, citing Mamdani’s pro-Palestinian activism.
John expressed concern about a potential Cuomo administration and said Cuomo would be an “absolute nightmare” as mayor. He added that a Mamdani victory would represent a statement against the Democratic elite.
Ethan Wong, a first-time mayoral voter, said he was partly inspired to cast his ballot by Mamdani’s campaign.
“I for sure might have voted, but he made me go out today in the morning to do it,” Wong said. “His policies are something that are important to New Yorkers. And I certainly didn’t want to vote for Cuomo.”
Rafael, another Sunnyside resident who did not wish to disclose his full name, said he ranked City Comptroller Brad Lander first and Mamdani second on Tuesday morning.
“I want to see somebody different,” Rafael said. “Cuomo, I think, is a bit of an odd fellow even though he does know how to govern very well. I just want to see a new face and give somebody else a chance.”
Several Sunnysiders did vote for Cuomo on Tuesday, however.
Niall Costello, a Sunnyside resident and local business owner, said he ranked Cuomo number one because the former Governor “can actually do the job.”
“Not that I really like the guy, but at least he has experience,” Costello stated, adding that he was somewhat disappointed by the field of candidates in the mayoral race.
Costello added that he is concerned by the prospects of a Mamdani victory on Tuesday.
“He’s a crazy liberal with no experience,” Costello said. “We saw what happened with no experience when de Blasio took over. He rolled back 20 years of good leadership.”
Bennett Flynn also said he voted for Cuomo on Tuesday, acknowledging that the former Governor has “flaws” but insisting that he is the “best guy for the job.” Flynn added that Mamdani does not have the experience to deliver on the promises he has made throughout his campaign and that the city does not have the financial means to deliver on Mamdani’s promises.
“He’s going to find out that we are not really able financially to do a lot of things that he promised,” Flynn said.
Flynn, 75, said he feared many elderly voters would be unable to make the journey to polling centers on Tuesday as near-record temperatures climbed toward the 100 mark.
“I think it’s going to prevent some elderly people from voting,” Flynn said. “I don’t have asthma or anything like that, but if I did, I don’t think I’d be able to come out.”
A steady trickle of voters visited the Queen of Angels polling center throughout Tuesday morning, but other centers throughout the borough were less busy.
At PS19 Marino Jeantet at 40-32 99th St., poll workers reported that the site had been “dead” all morning. At PS89 José Peralta at 85-28 Britton Ave., some workers reported a similar story.
That did not deter campaigns from launching a last-ditch effort to sway voters, however.
At PS19, campaigners for city council candidate David Aiken became involved in a heated dispute with election workers and police as they attempted to canvas voters on their way to the polls. Workers insisted that campaigners had set up their tent within 100 feet of the polling station, prompting campaigners to measure the distance from the tent to the polling station using measuring tape.
The campaigners eventually gave up and moved to a different location further away from the center. Mamdani canvassers also ran afoul of election workers at PS89, regularly encroaching within 100 feet of the polling center.
After repeated instructions to move further away from the center, canvassers eventually retreated to a location across the road. However, they regularly walked alongside voters as they made their way to the center before retreating outside the 100-foot boundary again.
Some voters said the heat should not deter people from exercising their right to vote.
Diu Arriaga, a 78-year-old voter at PS19, said if someone wants to vote, they will find a way to do so, regardless of the heat. Arriaga said he voted for Cuomo because of his manner and his experience as a leader.
