Zohran Mamdani dodges questions about lackluster political record after ‘cocktail napkin’ resume criticism at NYC mayoral debate

[ad_1]

Zohran Mamdani dodged questions on his report Thursday as he tried to show the tables on his mayoral opponents — who gave him a shellacking over his measly resume and lackluster legislative exhibiting.

“I spent 90 minutes on stage with Andrew Cuomo and I, like many right here, might let you know his critiques of me, his critiques of Curtis Sliwa, however I couldn't let you know what he was truly working on to ship for this metropolis,” Mamdani mentioned, addressing Wednesday’s debate throughout an unrelated press convention in Murray Hill.

However the Queens state assemblyman averted a Publish reporter’s questions, refusing to confront the bruising assaults from unbiased candidate Cuomo and Republican nominee Sliwa over his paltry political cred.

“This man by no means even proposed a invoice on housing or training. By no means even proposed a invoice,” Cuomo railed on the socialist front-runner at one level through the remaining mayoral election debate on Spectrum NY1.

“You by no means achieved something. There’s no cause to imagine you will have any advantage or qualification for 8.5 million lives,” Cuomo railed. “You don’t know easy methods to run a authorities. You don’t know easy methods to deal with an emergency…

Mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani solely managed to get one invoice handed by means of each homes of the state legislature this 12 months. Derek French/Shutterstock

“You had the worst attendance report within the Meeting… Disgrace on you!”

The three-term socialist state lawmaker has been frequently knocked for less than getting 4 payments handed within the Meeting over his half-decade in workplace.

Mamdani, 34, additionally grabbed his paycheck and fled Albany after the state finances handed in April — and hasn’t returned since.

He missed a whopping 50% of votes within the Meeting this 12 months whereas campaigning for New York Metropolis mayor, The Publish reported in June.

Mamdani fired again through the debate, getting in his personal licks on the thrice-elected Democratic governor Cuomo’s decades-long political report.

“We simply had a former governor, say in his personal phrases, that the town has been getting screwed by the state,” he mentioned from the stage.

“Who was main the state? It was you!” he charged at Cuomo, 67, to roaring laughter from supporters within the viewers. “You had been main the state for 10 years.”

A fiery trade ensued, throughout which Sliwa snapped at Mamdani: “Your résumé might match on a cocktail serviette.”

Mamdani has not seen the Meeting flooring because the state finances was handed in early Might. Hans Pennink

Cuomo additionally dinged at Mamdani after he complained that the state hasn’t delivered funding for applications meant to assist juvenile offenders underneath the controversial Increase the Age regulation.

“If Zohran thought that there was cash locked up in Albany, perhaps he ought to have gone to Albany and proposed a invoice to launch it,” Cuomo sniped.

Mamdani, who was first elected in 2020, handed all of 1 invoice this 12 months, The Publish beforehand reported — and he wasn’t even in Albany when his measure got here up for a vote.

That’s the identical variety of payments signed into regulation as 88-year-old Assemblyman David McDonough (R-Nassau) who’d been completely bodily absent from Albany’s legislative session this 12 months as he offers with well being points.

Even upstate Assemblyman Chris Tague (R-Schoharie) — an unabashed critic of Gov. Kathy Hochul who’s additionally clashed along with his Democratic colleagues within the Legislature — managed to get 9 payments, albeit on non-controversial native points, signed this 12 months.

“I present up! I’m there on a regular basis doing my job,” Tague advised The Publish Thursday.

“I believe he took up the mistaken line of labor. He needs to be an actor in Hollywood. All the pieces is theatrics and performing with him,” he mentioned of Mamdani.

Mamdani and state Sen. Mike Gianaris had been capable of safe a free bus program pilot for Queens in 2023, however the initiative was scrapped the subsequent 12 months after the Assemblyman refused to vote for the state finances. Gabriella Bass

The variety of standalone payments handed or enacted isn’t all the time probably the most complete measure of a lawmaker’s effectiveness, given {that a} vital bulk of coverage is crammed into the sprawling state finances.

However Mamdani has struggled to affect the large spending package deal prior to now as effectively over his three phrases.

Whereas he was profitable in getting a pilot program for his signature free bus proposal included within the finances in 2023, this system was killed behind the scenes by Meeting Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) the 12 months after as a result of Mamdani refused to vote in favor of the spending plan.

Nonetheless Heastie, who endorsed Mamdani shortly after Hochul did final month, has dismissed the notion that the Democratic Socialists of America pol was ineffective as an meeting member.

“After I tried to be speaker, you guys tried to do the identical factor to me by saying I didn’t cross as many payments as different individuals who had been working,” Heastie griped to reporters earlier this summer season.

During the last week, Mamdani was absent for legislative hearings in Albany about authorized protections for renters and defending ratepayers from hovering electrical prices – two of his hallmark coverage points.

“Thanks for stopping by,” a be aware on Mamdani’s closed Albany workplace door learn Thursday, additional instructing guests to e mail a staffer to make an appointment.