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<\/a>KENDELL RODWELL, MORRIS Heights\u00a0Photo by David Greene<\/p>\n
Following what was definitely an interesting<\/a> election season, and a historic one for the City in the end, Norwood News spoke to different Bronx residents and some candidates to get their take on Election Day, Nov. 4, socialism (again<\/a>) as a concept<\/a>, the new Mayor-elect, Democratic Socialist and Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (A.D. 36), and the as-yet, unconfirmed Election Day results<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Wolve Gardiner from Mt. Hope said, \u201cMy thoughts on this current election [are] that I\u2019m actually pleased that Mr. Zohran Mamdani won the election. We need a change in New York City, and we need to start being more positive, and ensure that the current systemic changes will be made for the betterment and fairness of our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n He added, \u201cI think socialism is a system that\u2019s set in place and that is something that needs to be addressed, but at the same time, look at equality for the people, and not prioritize capitalism and the corporations. I\u2019m for the Socialist Party.\u201d<\/p>\n Sharing his reaction to social media blowing up with declarations that a win by Democratic Socialist Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will be the end of New York City, Gardiner said, \u201cEven though I\u2019m not too well versed in that vein, I believe that God Almighty has a final say in everything like that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n He added, \u201cI also believe it depends on the temperament and the temperature of the people and how they behave, and how God puts certain things in place to exercise authority in our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, David from Pelham Parkway said, \u201cI don\u2019t trust any politicians. It doesn\u2019t matter. Democrats or Republicans, it\u2019s the same side of the coin. They are just an instrument to fool the people, to keep us in this trap of an economic rat race. They don\u2019t encourage self-sufficiency. They want us to be dependent on them and when we do depend on them, they take away whatever it is that we get from them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n David continued, \u201cIt\u2019s not just SNAP, it\u2019s everything. They do it with energy, letting the natural environment fall to waste. We can\u2019t grow our own food. They don\u2019t even support that.\u201d Asked if he voted, he said, \u201cNo, I don\u2019t vote. Why vote? Tell me, give me a good reason why I should vote. You think these people\u2019s vote counts?\u201d<\/p>\n He added, \u201cI think, in the big picture, we should stay a democratic country, but as far as neighborhoods and communities are concerned, yes, we should have some socialism practices that keep us well knitted, that will ensure that we look out for each other, like growing food and sharing resources and things like that. I think he [Mamdani] is projecting to have more power than he\u2019ll actually have. I think that all politicians actually do that. They make these claims, and they make these promises that they can\u2019t really follow through on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n For his part, Kendell Rodwell from Morris Heights said, \u201cThe jury is still out. I didn\u2019t vote. No, it\u2019s because I\u2019ve never voted. Socialism? You mean Muslim? Yeah, I wouldn\u2019t have voted Muslim. If I had voted, I probably wouldn\u2019t have voted for him. Give the Jews a chance. Look how long it\u2019s been since the Holocaust. Online, they\u2019re pushing it\u2019s the end of New York. No, no, no! That can\u2019t happen. Everybody has their eyes on him [Mamdani] now. Everybody\u2019s going to be watching him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n On the topic of [unfounded] rumors circulating online that Mamdani would introduce Sharia law to New York City, Rodwell said, \u201cI think that if there was a plan like that to bring Sharia law to New York the City Council wouldn\u2019t go with that.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Brenda Torres from Brooklyn, told Norwood News, \u201cI am disappointed and concerned with Andrew Cuomo losing the mayoral race. I hoped he would win and get New York City back on its feet, as he did for the State when he was governor. New York City is in trouble. The mayor-elect has changed his points of view so many times, no one knows the truth on where he stands.\u201d<\/p>\n Mamdani had said as a younger person that he was in favor of defunding the police, for example, but later said his opinion had changed on that. He also said that although he, himself, never used the phrase \u201cGlobalize the Intifada,\u201d during election season, he has not denounced it but has encouraged its disuse.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Torres added, \u201cDid he change them [his points of view] just to get votes and now, he will do what he wants? Only time will tell. With Andrew Coumo, we knew his positions, and he stood by them. He wanted what was best and fair for its [New York\u2019s] people. It\u2019s a shame we\u2019ll never know what could have been.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We also spoke to Kevin Johnson from Parkchester, who said, \u201cIn principle, I support socialism. I believe that there should be no kings, rulers, dukes or earls over the people, allowing everyone to have an equal share of the earth. As for the election, I can honestly say that I didn\u2019t vote for any of the three major candidates for mayor in last week\u2019s New York City mayoral election.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Republican Party mayoral nominee, Curtis Sliwa, who won around % of the vote in the general election, later said of his campaign, \u201cThank\u00a0 you to everyone who stood with me. I\u2019m so proud of everyone who worked so hard these past months. We went up against billionaires, the political elite, and the full weight of the establishment, and we did it together. This city belongs to all of us. We love it, we live it, and we will protect it side by side.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued, \u201cNo one can buy our spirit or break our unity. When we stand together, New York stands strong. We will not move. We will not be forced out. We will improve this city no matter what we face. We will not let our police be defunded. We will not let the homeless be left to suffer on our streets. We will clean this city. We will fight together until the end, because our city is worth fighting for. Thank you for believing in me and in each other.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We also spoke with Conservative Party mayoral nominee, Irene Estrada, a Pelham Parkway resident who previously ran for City Council in District 13, as reported<\/a>, and who won around 0.13% of the vote in this year\u2019s mayoral general election. Asked about the experience of running for mayor, she said, \u201cRunning for mayor of New York was an eye-opening experience that revealed who truly holds power over our democracy. The media, controlled by the wealthy, turned the election into a modern-day version of the Hunger Games, betting on candidates as if they were racehorses.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We understood that Estrada was referring to media coverage of her candidacy. To participate in televised debates, for example, certain candidates need to demonstrate that they have a minimum level of support.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n She continued, \u201cAs the only woman on the ballot, and a proud Latina, I witnessed firsthand the discrimination and inequality that still exists in politics. Issues that truly matter to New Yorkers were ignored. But through it all, I refused to surrender. I love this city deeply and stood firm. Head high, heels on, and competing against the \u201cbig boys\u201d and their mega-donors.\u201d<\/p>\n Estrada, and others, participated in New York City\u2019s \u201cmatching funds<\/a>\u201d program run by the NYC Campaign Finance Board, a program that offers candidates access to public monies (tax payer dollars) to help with the running of their campaigns based on proof of minimum local voter support for their respective candidacies (in the form of donations). Mamdani received over $13 million in public funds. Estrada did not receive any as she did not meet the criteria. For more on this topic, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Estrada added, \u201cMy campaign was never about raising money; it was about raising hope. While others courted power, I stood with the people. Big donors open doors to corruption, and this is not how democracy should be. I am proud to have run an honest campaign, grounded in faith, community, and integrity. My hope is that the new mayor will truly serve the people of New York City and keep his promises.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n She continued, \u201cThe people have spoken, and now he must deliver. I know that may not always be possible, but those who are disappointed should stand up, take action, and hold leadership accountable. As a clergy member, I have worked alongside many past mayors, and I will continue to do the same with Mayor Zohran. I believe in collaboration and prayer for our city. We have strong leaders in every borough ready to defend New York and ensure that no community is left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n She said that she also prayed that the \u201cspirit of entitlement and division\u201d fades away and that New Yorkers return to a city built on faith, hard work, and unity. \u201cNew York City belongs to all of us,\u201d she said, before offering special thanks to her NYPD-employed daughters, Sgt. Erica Bukowiecki and retired NYPD Det. Daisy Gonzalez; and her grandchildren, NYPD-employed Brandon Pagan, NYPD-employed Amber Jackson Gonzalez, Austin Gonzalez, and her son-in-law, Buck.<\/p>\n<\/a>WOLVE GARDINER, MT. Hope
Photo by David Greene<\/p>\n<\/a>CONSERVATIVE PARTY MAYORAL nominee in the 2025 mayoral general election, Irene Estrada, holds her ballot before voting at her local polling site on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.
Photo courtesy of Irene Estrada<\/p>\n<\/a>CONSERVATIVE PARTY MAYORAL nominee in the mayoral general election, Irene Estrada is joined by family members outside her local polling location in Pelham Parkway on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.
Photo courtesy of Irene Estrada<\/p>\n<\/a>CONSERVATIVE PARTY MAYORAL nominee in the mayoral general election, Irene Estrada poses for a photo with an unnamed father and daughter at her local polling site on Election Day, Nov. 4, 2025. Estrada told Norwood News, \u201cThis little girl brought her father to vote for me because I was the woman from The Bronx running for Mayor.\u201d\u00a0
Photo courtesy of Irene Estrada<\/p>\n<\/a>BRENDA TORRES, BROOKLYN
Photo by David Greene<\/p>\n