Even political opposites can find common ground something New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani made clear during a recent forum. Speaking at Crain’s New York Business Mayoral Forum on October 8, Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist and leading contender in the upcoming election, surprised the audience by drawing a rare point of agreement with tech billionaire Elon Musk. Specifically, Mamdani expressed frustration that concerns such as fraud, waste, and efficiency have become politically polarized. “We've allowed someone like Elon Musk to make it seem as if the concerns of fraud and efficiency and waste, even quality of life that these are somehow right-wing concerns,” he said. “These should be at the heart of any politics for working class people.”
Mamdani’s perspective underscores a broader problem he believes plagues government systems: a loss of public confidence rooted in years of poor performance, particularly in essential services like public transportation. This issue, he noted, is not exclusive to conservatives or billionaires. In fact, streamlining bloated bureaucracies and reducing inefficiencies were central themes in Musk’s much-criticized Department of Government Efficiency. While many Democrats and progressives took issue with Musk’s approach, Mamdani pointed out that the underlying goals shouldn't be so divisive.
The mayoral hopeful who once said billionaires shouldn't exist has little else in common with Musk, who became the first individual to reach a $500 billion net worth. When Mamdani secured the Democratic primary in June, Musk even mocked the moment with a laughing emoji on X in response to one of the candidate’s prior remarks. Yet despite their differences, Mamdani maintained that Musk’s focus on functionality resonates with the broader working class.
At the forum, Mamdani made a concerted effort to appeal to New York's business community. He emphasized that the public and private sectors must collaborate to improve the city’s economic ecosystem. He spoke about reducing red tape for entrepreneurs, enabling companies to attract top-tier talent, and modernizing outdated regulatory systems. He even quoted Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in his opening remarks, a move that seemed calculated to convey his openness to economic pragmatism.
Still, Mamdani didn’t shy away from policy positions that tend to make the wealthy uneasy. He reaffirmed his commitment to property tax reforms and referenced Citadel CEO Ken Griffin’s $238 million Manhattan residence an example Mamdani uses to highlight inequity in the current tax system. His message was clear: being pro-business does not mean protecting billionaires from contributing their fair share.
The candidate also addressed President Donald Trump's recent warning that if re-elected, he would cut federal funding to New York City. Mamdani described this as blatant political retaliation and promised to use every available legal avenue to fight it. If elected, he said he would begin by examining the legality of such a move and would leverage resources from the governor’s office and the state attorney general to defend the city’s interests.
Mamdani’s path to the mayor's office has become more viable in recent weeks. Following Mayor Eric Adams' unexpected exit from the race, many anticipated a resurgence in support for former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Despite that possibility, Mamdani remains firmly ahead in the polls and is widely expected to win the upcoming election. His ability to appeal to both progressives and moderate business leaders could be key in cementing that victory.
