Why Is NYC’s Political Press Ignoring the Fact That Mamdani’s Own NYCHA Black and Hispanic Constituents Rejected Him?

If Mamdani is the future of New York City, then someone should explain why the people who know him best just voted against him. The Queensbridge Houses — the largest public housing development in the United States — sits in the heart of Mamdani’s Assembly district. And in the recent Democratic mayoral primary, Queensbridge residents overwhelmingly rejected his candidacy. Despite Mamdani winning his district by a commanding 81% to 19% margin over Andrew Cuomo overall, in Queensbridge, Cuomo crushed him 67% to 33%.

Let that sink in: the very people Mamdani has represented for nearly three terms in Albany — the poorest and most neglected residents of his own district — don’t want him anywhere near City Hall.   And yet, New York City’s political press has not interviewed the residence of Queensboro why they voted against their Assemblyman Mamdani.

In nearby NYCHA developments like Ravenswood and Astoria Houses, the trend continued: Cuomo won convincingly. These aren’t Wall Street moderates or real estate developers. These are working-class Black and Latino New Yorkers living in public housing — the exact constituency Mamdani claims to champion.

These voters know the difference between performance politics and real results. They’ve lived under Mamdani’s tenure. They’ve endured broken elevators, black mold, busted boilers, and years of empty promises. And when given the chance, they sent a clear message: no thanks.

But where is the coverage? Where are the headlines asking why Mamdani, the self-described socialist crusader for the poor, was rejected by the very communities he claims to fight for?

Instead, the media continues to amplify his slogans and social media strategy, treating Mamdani like a rising star rather than holding him accountable for a glaring disconnect between his rhetoric and his record.  The truth is, NYCHA residents don’t want flashy rent-freeze stunts that exclude public housing. They want working heat in the winter. They want safe stairwells and working plumbing. They want competence, not hashtags.

Queensbridge is 43% Black, 41% Latino, and nearly 25% below the poverty line. If Mamdani’s platform was truly resonating with the working class, he would’ve won there in a landslide. He didn’t. So why won’t political reporters cover it?

If Mamdani’s campaign is built on “the people,” then the press should ask why his own people — those who live in the public housing he supposedly champions — don’t trust him to run the city. That’s not a footnote. Where’s the Story on Mamdani Skipping Albany? The Top Absentee Democrat This Session

When voters who live with the consequences of political failure make their voices heard, and the media refuses to listen — it’s not just NYCHA tenants who are being ignored. It’s the truth.