Democratic mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday continued to decline to offer an opinion on a set of housing-related referendum questions up for a vote in next week’s election — an indication the issue will be politically fraught for him no matter which side he aligns with.
The three questions — Nos. 2, 3 and 4 on the back of voters’ Nov. 4 ballots — would make it easier for developers to build by, among other things, creating a panel that could overturn City Council denial of many mixed-income housing projects.
The reform proposals come as New York’s housing crisis is at an inflection point, with rents continuing to skyrocket while the number of vacant affordable apartments citywide remains low.
Still, the questions, which were placed on the ballot by a Charter Revision Commission empaneled by Mayor Adams, have caused a rift among some of Mamdani’s most prominent supporters, as some of them back the measures while others vehemently oppose them.
Against that backdrop, Mamdani has for weeks refrained from taking a stance one way or the other on the questions — and did so again Tuesday night.
“I’ve yet to take a position on the ballot referendum, but I will be sharing that as soon as I do, and I’ll be voting on Election Day,” Mamdani told reporters in Hell’s Kitchen during a canvass launch.
Mamdani’s tight-lipped stance comes even though early voting started Saturday. According to Board of Elections tallies, just shy of 300,000 New Yorkers had already cast their votes as of 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Asked by the Daily News after the canvass launch why he’s having such a hard time making up his mind about the ballot questions, Mamdani said: “I take these decisions very, very seriously, and as soon as I’ve made a decision, I’ll share it.”
“If these were easy decisions, then this would be an easy job,” he added.
Mamdani, who’s polling as the favorite to win next Tuesday’s mayoral election, could alienate some of his big backers no matter how he decides on the ballot questions.
On one side, city Comptroller Brad Lander and the borough presidents of Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn — all of whom are supporting Mamdani — have come out in favor of the props, saying they could help pave the way for more housing to be built quicker.
On the other side, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, as well as several powerful unions backing Mamdani, say the efforts would strip the Council of having a say on housing matters. Opponents to the ballot questions have also described the measures as a mayoral power grab that would erase a critical check on the city’s top executive.
By contrast, Andrew Cuomo, the ex-governor who’s running as an independent against Mamdani in next week’s election, has come out in favor of all three development-related ballot questions. Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa, for his part, has said he opposes all three. Mayor Adams dropped out of the race last month, abandoning his bid for a second term after consistently polling dead last in the contest.