Zohran Mamdani’s Albany record is more nuanced than foes would suggest

Zohran Mamdani has passed four bills during his nearly five-year tenure as a member of the New York State Assembly, a fact his rivals in the New York City mayoral race are all too happy to point out.

But he has lent his name to hundreds of different proposals at the state Capitol that help provide a window into his policy platform, even if the vast majority didn’t get over the finish line.

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Mamdani was the lead sponsor of 21 bills in Albany and the cosponsor of 242 more this year, according to state records. Many of the bills that didn’t pass fit into the broad themes of his mayoral campaign. There are measures to hike taxes on the rich, on corporations and on capital gains . There are measures to provide free tuition at SUNY schools and let local governments increase their minimum wage, and to bring three free bus routes to each borough.

Then there are the perennial bills reliably supported by those on the left — including the New York Health Act, which would create a universal single-payer health plan in the Empire State and is vehemently opposed by business groups who say it would cost billions.  

Plenty of legislation Mamdani has cosponsored — meaning another lawmaker introduced it and he signed on as a supporter — doesn’t fit as neatly into his campaign platform but still comports with his progressive playbook. 

• Decriminalize certain prostitution offenses, which has drawn criticism from Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as they try to cut into Mamdani’s lead in the polls. 
• Create a 50% rebate — worth up to $1,100 — for buying a “safe” e-bike or e-scooter.
• Ban “legacy admissions”  at colleges or universities in New York that  give  preference to applicants who are related to alumni. Repeal a seldom-enforced World War II-era law that makes it a misdemeanor to have sexual intercourse when the person is known to have an infectious venereal disease.

And then, there’s the wolf bill.

The bill — introduced by Brooklyn Assemblymember Robert Carroll and Manhattan Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal — has a two-word goal, according to its official summary: “Protect wolves.” It would require the state to do genetic testing any time a “wild canid” — a type of animal that includes wolves and coyotes — weighing at least 50 pounds is killed. The goal is to determine whether wolves, an endangered species rarely seen in New York, can make a comeback.

Carroll said Mamdani’s decision to cosponsor the wolf bill reflects well on him. 

“I think it shows that Zohran is thinking not just about the district that he represents in Queens, but is looking at our state in a holistic way of figuring out ways to make it better for the 20 million people who live here,” he said.

Of the bills Mamdani attached his name to, 15 passed both houses of the Legislature this year, according to state records. That’s not out of the ordinary for the 150 members of the Assembly, most of whom sponsor dozens or hundreds of bills each year that are never put to a vote.

Among the Mamdani-cosponsored bills that did pass this year was the Medical Aid in Dying Act, which would allow doctors to prescribe a lethal drug to someone with a terminal illness at the patient’s request. Gov. Kathy Hochul has until the end of the year to sign or veto it. 

Mamdani’s greatest legislative achievement to date came in 2023, when he and Queens Sen. Michael Gianaris successfully pushed for a one-year pilot program to make one  bus route in each borough free. That provision was tucked into the state budget that year, but it wasn’t renewed the following year and a Mamdani-sponsored bill to extend and expand it hasn’t gotten a vote. 

Cuomo, who lost to Mamdani in the Democratic mayoral primary by 13 points, has ramped up his criticism of the nominee’s  Albany record in recent weeks calling his positions “unhinged” and saying Mamdani “is not a serious person.” 

Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa have been critical of Mamdani’s platform and record as a lawmaker, too, with Sliwa calling him “too extreme for a city already on edge” and Adams calling Mamdani’s proposals unrealistic.

“Do you want Mamdani’s experiments or my experience?” Adams tweeted last week. “One’s a wish list. The other is a wins list.”

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Bronx Democrat who is one of the three most-powerful people in Albany, came to Mamdani’s defense praising him for his communication skills and his ability to affect policy and advocate for investments in his community.

“I really think as Democrats, we need to pay attention to his message, where he talks about the fact that the city of New York and many other parts of the state are just too unaffordable,” Heastie told reporters Monday. “We need to start to listen to people and voters who are saying they’re getting choked by the relative expense of living in New York City.”

Ballot Box

This week we're wondering: Since Zohran Mamdani's opponents have tried to use his lack of executive experience against him in the New York City mayoral race, we’re wondering if that is an important issue to you as a voter? Why or why not? Let us know here.

Last week we asked: Who do you believe is best positioned to manage City Hall’s relationship with President Trump’s White House: Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Adams or Zohran Mamdani? 

“Cuomo has more of a proven track record dealing with Trump, and they came of age together in the same place and time, so Cuomo implicitly understands more about Trump's thinking. Adams has a compromised relationship with Trump, and unfortunately Mamdani's youth, identity and politics puts a ready-made MAGA target on his back and the city's. It's a distraction that we don't need right now.”- Jason, Manhattan

“Mamdani is completely independent from the Trump world.  He has been able to organize a large and diverse coalition. He is confident, willing to talk to and learn from all sorts of people, and he is young enough to be courageous.”- Deborah, Manhattan

7 headlines

(1) Bail reform is at the center of a new executive order from President Donald Trump that could threaten billions of dollars in federal funding. Here’s what to know.

(2) The New York City Campaign Finance Board rolled out its debate schedule for citywide candidates and WNYC will be among the groups hosting the televised contests. Here are the details.

(3) Gov. Kathy Hochul said she told President Trump there was no need for him to deploy the National Guard to New York City. Here’s why.

(4) Eric Adams’ former chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, wasn’t the only one in the mayor’s close circle who worked on the TV show ‘The Godfather of Harlem.’ Here’s who else was involved.

(5) Drew Warshaw is vying for Tom DiNapoli’s state comptroller position. Here’s what he’s campaigning on.

(6) Zohran Mamdani has raised nearly twice as much as his rivals, Mayor Adams and Andrew Cuomo. Here’s how much.

(7) Listen: Two gas pipelines in New York are suddenly back on the table following a revival of talks between Trump and Hochul. State Senator. Liz Krueger and Rich Schrader, New York government affairs director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, discussed more on the Brian Lehrer Show. Listen here.