New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani delivered an impassioned speech on Friday condemning what he called "racist, baseless attacks" from his opponents, a day before early voting begins in the race where he is currently projected to lead, according to Al Jazeera. Speaking outside a Bronx mosque, Mamdani criticized his rivals for promoting "hatred," noting that their Islamophobia affects not just him as the Democratic nominee but also nearly one million Muslims living in New York. He said, "To be Muslim in New York is to expect indignity, but indignity does not make us distinct. There are many New Yorkers who face it. It is the tolerance of that indignity that does." The remarks came less than two weeks before the November 4 general election.

A member of the New York State Assembly, Mamdani said he had sought to focus his campaign on affordability, but recent attacks revealed that "Islamophobia has emerged as one of the few areas of agreement" among his opponents. The speech followed controversial comments from his leading rival, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who laughed when radio host Sid Rosenberg suggested Mamdani “would be cheering” if another September 11 attack occurred, to which Cuomo replied, "That's another problem." Basim Elkarra, executive director of CAIR Action, condemned Cuomo’s remarks as "despicable, dangerous, and disqualifying," saying they crossed a moral line and reflected a leader who stokes fear rather than unity.

Mamdani also addressed attacks from Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, accusing him of falsely claiming on the debate stage that Mamdani supports global jihad, and criticized Super PAC ads that implied he is a terrorist or mocked his eating habits. He shared personal experiences of Islamophobia, including an aunt who stopped taking the subway after 9/11 due to safety concerns while wearing a hijab and a staff member who had “terrorist” spray-painted on their garage. He also noted he could have concealed his faith to improve his electoral prospects.

Earlier on Friday, Mamdani received an endorsement from House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. Despite support from prominent Democrats such as Governor Kathy Hochul, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Senator Bernie Sanders, Mamdani has struggled to gain backing from other leading Democrats, including Senator Chuck Schumer.

Mamdani won the Democratic primary in June and currently leads in polls for the general election. A recent AARP and Gotham Polling and Analytics survey shows him at 43.2% support, followed by Cuomo at 28.9%, Sliwa at 19.4%, with 8.4% undecided or favoring other candidates. Cost of living was cited as the top concern for nearly two-thirds of voters, with public safety and housing affordability also ranking high. Current Mayor Eric Adams, who withdrew from the race amid corruption allegations, endorsed Cuomo this week, though his name remains on the ballot.