STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — With Election Day creeping closer, volunteers for Zohran Mamdani’s campaign gathered at the steps of Borough Hall in St. George on Sunday to kick off a day of canvassing on Staten Island.

Mamdani supporters came together to speak with potential voters and drum up support for the mayoral candidate on the borough’s North Shore.

“We know that in the next five to 10 years, the Island is going to be completely different,” Yesenia Mata of New York Immigration Coalition Action, said to the crowd at Borough Hall.

“It will no longer be the forgotten borough, but it’s because of all of us, because we did this together.”

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Zohran Mamdani day of action

Sunday’s event focused on reaching as many Staten Island residents as possible before the election begins.

“Six days before early voting begins, and it’s up to all of us to make sure we have record numbers with early voting,” former U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman said to the crowd.

“It’s up to all of us to make sure we register as many people as possible between now and next Saturday,” the former lawmaker from Westchester County continued. “And it’s on all of us to make sure Zohran doesn’t just win Staten Island, but crushes it.”

Also at Borough Hall was Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes, a Democrat from Brooklyn who represents Sunset Park, Red Hook, and parts of Bay Ridge.

Mitaynes, who also attended a Mamdani campaign event in St. George last Saturday, stressed the importance of speaking with members of the community, and making sure that they felt their concerns were being heard by the campaign.

“We are seeing a lot of people being supportive of the messaging, but there’s also a lot of fear,” Mitaynes said, when asked about her experience canvassing on Staten Island.

“It’s been a really interesting experience to come here to talk to folks, to talk to the business owners about some of the issues they’re facing,” Mitaynes continued, adding that many of the business owners the campaign has spoken to said they’re still struggling after the pandemic.

For Shahana Masum of Mariners Harbor, affordability was one of the main reasons why she’s gotten involved in the campaign.

“My three children were born here, and grew up here, and they left because they cannot afford it,” she explained.

“My children are educated people. My daughter just finished her masters. My son finished his double masters and my other son is doing international law. And they cannot afford this city,” Masum continued.

Ruben Sibri, a volunteer from West Brighton, also said that affordability was a main driver for the campaign.

“I think it’s going to be surprising to people how strong the coalition here is on Staten Island. I think affordability speaks to everyone,” Sibri said. “I’ve been out door-knocking by myself and I’ll say I was also surprised how well other people were taking it.”

Mayoral candidates on Staten Island

As the race nears its end, and with only the three candidates left standing, campaigning has turned up in recent weeks on Staten Island.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has visited the borough several times since mid-September. Cuomo is running as an independent candidate, now the only one left following the suspension of Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign.

Republican Curtis Sliwa has been a frequent presence on Staten Island throughout the campaign, visiting for a variety of events, including a recent press conference about speed cameras.

Last week, Cuomo spoke with the Advance/SILive.com editorial board, outlining the priorities of his mayoral platform.

In September, Sliwa also discussed his vision for the Big Apple with the publication.

Mamdani continues to lead New York City’s mayoral race with 46% support in the wake of Mayor Eric Adams’ withdrawal from the race, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll.

Cuomo, however, has made some noteworthy gains, climbing to 33% support citywide. He has pulled ahead of Mamdani on Staten Island.

In a previous Quinnipiac poll conducted Sept. 10, Mamdani had the edge with 45%, with Cuomo trailing at 23%. These new numbers show Cuomo picking up much of Adams’ former support — a trend most clearly visible on Staten Island.

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