Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist candidate for New York City mayor, has accused donors to frontrunner Andrew Cuomo of 'blatant Islamophobia.' This accusation stems from a mailer sent to Jewish voters by a Cuomo-backing Super Pac, which allegedly altered Mamdani's image to give him a darker, bushier beard, while slightly lightening his skin. Mamdani, who is critical of Israel's war in Gaza, believes the alteration is a racist tactic to influence voters.
New York mayoral candidate accuses Cuomo donors of altering photo in act of ‘blatant Islamophobia’
United StatesNew YorkAndrew CuomoDemocrats
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist candidate for New York City mayor, has accused donors to frontrunner Andrew Cuomo of 'blatant Islamophobia.' This accusation stems from a mailer sent to Jewish voters by a Cuomo-backing Super Pac, which allegedly altered Mamdani's image to give him a darker, bushier beard, while slightly lightening his skin. Mamdani, who is critical of Israel's war in Gaza, believes the alteration is a racist tactic to influence voters.
Trending- 1 Recently (prior to June 12, 2025): Mailer from Fix the City with altered photo of Zohran Mamdani sent to Jewish voters.
- 2 June 12, 2025: Zohran Mamdani accuses Cuomo donors of Islamophobia.
- 3 June 24, 2025: Democratic primary for NYC mayor.
- 4 November 2025: General election for NYC mayor.
- Accusations of racism and Islamophobia in the mayoral race.
- Potential impact on voter perception.
- Tightening of the mayoral contest.
What: Zohran Mamdani, a New York City mayoral candidate, accused donors to Andrew Cuomo's Super Pac, Fix the City, of 'blatant Islamophobia' for allegedly altering his image in a mailer to Jewish voters, making his beard darker and bushier and lightening his skin.
When: Mailer revealed recently (prior to June 12, 2025); Democratic primary on June 24; general election in November.
Where: New York City, Queens.
Why: Mamdani believes the photo alteration is a racist tactic to influence Jewish voters, linking it to his criticism of Israel's war in Gaza and his Muslim identity. He also suggests it indicates fear from the Cuomo campaign due to tightening polls.
How: A Super Pac supporting Andrew Cuomo, 'Fix the City,' sent a mailer to Jewish voters featuring an altered image of Zohran Mamdani. The image's visual contrast was manipulated to darken his beard and slightly lighten his skin.