Tom Williams from CQ Roll Call through AP Images
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) did not waste any time in issuing a fundraising appeal concerning Zohran Mamdani’s obvious win in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor — sent an email accusing Mamdani of being a "terrorist supporter" who "really disgusts me," even before the election results were finalized.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old New York City Democratic Socialist legislator with strong progressive stances, succeeded in amassing support throughout the campaign, raising his standing from just 1% to an election eve poll which put him ahead of the initial front-runner, the previous governor of New York Andrew Cuomo Just under four years ago, Cuomo stepped down amidst a flurry of controversies encompassing his response to the Covid pandemic and allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment. Despite this, his high profile initially lent support during the early stages of the primary race.
Once the polls shut on Tuesday, the tally swiftly indicated that Mamdani was surpassing expectations set by recent surveys across all metrics, accumulating impressive numbers. a solid lead over Cuomo.
Mamdani is still below the 50% mark, yet he holds such a substantial lead over second-place contender Cuomo that most political analysts believe there’s no feasible path for Cuomo to close this gap. The ex-governor called Mamdani To celebrate him on his victorious night, however, so far, reports indicate that Cuomo has not expressly conceded the race.
Stefanik, representing a largely rural area in the northeastern section of upstate New York, was appointed by President Donald Trump to become the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, but the White House withdrew her nomination In light of worries surrounding two congressional special elections in Florida, where Republican contenders appeared potentially susceptible, this situation posed a risk for the GOP’s razor-thin majority at risk .
After returning her possessions to a congressional office and setting aside her ambitions for an ambassadorship, Stefanik has redirected much of her efforts towards New York politics.
At 10 pm ET, New York Times political correspondent Shane Goldmacher shared an image of a fundraising message from Stefanik—well ahead of when prominent media outlets were covering the NYC mayoral primary—that criticized Mamdani as a "self-proclaimed socialist and supporter of terrorist groups linked to Hamas." The message also stated that the thought of him becoming the next mayor of New York City was deeply unsettling.
Please provide the text from the screenshot for me to paraphrase.
Shane,
I have butterflies in my stomach.
The thought of someone like Zohran Mamdani, who openly supports socialism and even empathizes with Hamas terrorists, potentially becoming the next mayor of New York City is utterly nauseating to me.
NY Post Mamdani’s supporter employed at the New York City Campaign Finance Board is a seasoned socialist activist with connections. to terror groups”
The Statue of Liberty can be found in New York City, serving as an internationally recognized emblem of liberty and the remarkable fortitude of Americans.
Should a supporter of socialism and Hamas become the new mayor of the largest city in America, all our cherished principles as liberty-loving Americans would be at risk.
And let me assure you, saying this next part breaks my heart. I genuinely hope I didn't have to bring it up. … However, a survey indicates that he has gained the lead in ranked-choice voting within the Democratic primary.
That’s why I’m exerting every effort possible — truly, everything I can —to make sure that such an apocalyptic scenario NEVER occurs.
Stefanik likewise shared several tweets criticizing Mamdani and other Democratic figures from New York:
Stefanik particularly pointed at New York City Mayor Kathy Hochul, criticizing her "disastrous failure as the leader of the NY Democratic Party" for permitting someone with extreme views—such as defunding the police, communism, and rampant antisemitism—to potentially win the mayoral primary. She accused the New York Democrats of fully adopting Marxism, antisemitism, anticapitalism, and outright madness.
Kathy Hochul, labeled as the worst governor in America, you've now had a communist anti-Semite selected as the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City," she went on. "You haven’t distanced yourself from his perilous statements and platforms, and you will face consequences at the hands of New Yorkers.
In subsequent tweets, Stefanik mocked Hochul for failing to post a "congratulatory message about the antisemitic, jihadist, communist candidate whom you aided during your party's Democratic primary due to your silence, weakness, and incompetence."
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The post Stefanik Labels Mamdani as 'Terrorist Supporter' in Fundraising Message Prior to New York City Race Being Officially Decided: 'Extremely Disturbing' first appeared on .