Public safety emerged as a critical issue in the Democratic mayoral primary, influencing candidate strategies. Andrew Cuomo criticized opponent Zohran Mamdani for his past support of police defunding but voters favored Mamdani's comprehensive approach linking safety to affordability. A recent exit poll indicated that 66% of primary voters identified crime and public safety as top concerns, similar to homelessness, while preferring social services over strict crime policies. The poll, which surveyed 1,136 voters, showed Mamdani's message resonated, correlating safety concerns with rising living costs.
What Mamdani did in this race was he made safety, quality of life, a core part of his broader message of affordability. He didn't place it in a silo.
He very consistently linked safety to affordability by saying that higher costs and rising prices are connected to voters' feelings of being unsafe.
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