Democrats in New York are voting in the summer heat to choose the likely next leader of the largest city in the US, who voters say must stand up to President Donald Trump and ease the high cost of living.

With about a dozen candidates offering diverse personalities and proposals, the race is turning into an increasingly contested battle between former governor Andrew Cuomo, 67, and state assembly member Zoran Mamdani, 33, who has surprisingly emerged as a challenger to the more famous but compromised frontrunner.

The winner of today's primary will represent the Democrats in November's general election in a city where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans three to one, AFP reported.

Cuomo, whose father was also governor of New York, is hoping for a political comeback after being dogged by allegations of sexual assault.

In August 2021, New York Attorney General Letitia James accused Cuomo of sexually harassing 11 women.

He resigned, followed by his brother Chris, a CNN star who was an adviser to his campaign.

But just four years later, the candidate was greeted with cheers from supporters in various locations after announcing his candidacy for mayor in March.

Cuomo is the favorite in most of the race, but some recent polls show Mamdani closing the gap and even slightly ahead.

Mamdani represents the diverse Queens district in the New York State Assembly, describes himself as progressive and Muslim, and is backed by popular left-wing figures Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

He has mobilized an army of young volunteers with a social media campaign promising to fight high living costs with free buses, kindergartens, and a rent freeze in a city where a three-bedroom apartment can easily cost $6,000 a month.

“Tomorrow is ours if we want it,” Mamdani wrote in a social media post featuring a video calling on voters.

“We are on the verge of taking down a political dynasty and creating a New York that everyone can afford,” he said.

With over eight million residents, New York City has the highest concentration of millionaires in the world, but a quarter of its population lives in poverty, according to a recent report by the anti-poverty organization Robin Hood and its partner Columbia University.

According to an editorial in The New York Times, although Mamdani offers a “fresh political style” — videos of him talking to voters have become an internet hit — he has no experience and “offers a program that remains appealing to the progressive elite but has proven harmful to city life.”

The campaign is unfolding against a backdrop of anger among Democrats over Trump's proposed budget cuts and his aggressive campaign against undocumented immigrants.

Last week, in yet another shocking display of political division in America, mayoral candidate Brad Lander, the city's current comptroller and a Democrat, was taken away in handcuffs after accompanying a migrant to a court hearing.

Backed by former President Bill Clinton and former New York City mayor and billionaire Mike Bloomberg, Cuomo is presenting himself as the candidate with the gravitas to run the nation's most populous city in the current political climate.

“This is not a job for a novice,” Cuomo told his supporters, apparently attacking Mamdani's relative lack of experience during a last-minute rally at a carpenters' union.

“We need someone who knows what they're doing from day one, because your lives depend on it,” Cuomo added.

Meanwhile, current New York City Mayor Eric Adams, accused of cooperating with the Trump administration in exchange for the withdrawal of federal corruption charges against him, said he would run as an independent.

Although the heat may lower voter turnout, about 380,000 voters have already cast their ballots. The system, in which voters must rank five candidates in order of preference, makes public opinion polls difficult. | BGNES