Police in New York are investigating automobile bomb threats in opposition to Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, based on a Thursday launch from his marketing campaign.
Mamdani mentioned a repeat caller has been leaving “alarming” voicemails.
“Whereas Zohran doesn’t personal a automobile, the violent and particular language of what seems to be a repeat caller is alarming and we’re taking each precaution,” Mamdani mentioned in a press release despatched to The Hill by his marketing campaign.
“Whereas this can be a unhappy actuality, it isn’t stunning after hundreds of thousands of {dollars} have been spent on dehumanizing, Islamophobic rhetoric designed to stoke division and hate. Violence and racism shouldn’t have any place in our politics. Zohran stays targeted on delivering a protected and reasonably priced New York,” the assertion added.
The New York State Assemblymember’s reviews of violent threats come after New York Metropolis Comptroller Brad Lander, a fellow Democratic mayoral candidate, was arrested whereas leaving immigration court docket.
It additionally follows a “politically motivated” capturing involving two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota.
“That is an atrocious menace of political violence in opposition to Mr. Mamdani. It’s unacceptable —I strongly condemn these threats and any others like them. This has no place in our politics or our society. Fortunately nobody was harmed,” Andrew Cuomo, a Democratic candidate for mayor, wrote in a Thursday post on X.
“It is a pivotal time on this nation and we have to tone down the rhetoric and concentrate on the individuals’s agenda,” he added.
Mamdani and Cuomo had a notably heated second in the course of the June 12 candidate debate. The previous slammed the latter for previous misconduct and mispronouncing his title.
“I’ve by no means needed to resign in shame. I’ve by no means stolen tons of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from the MTA. I’ve by no means hounded the 13 girls who credibly accused me of sexual harassment. I’ve by no means sued for his or her gynecological data. And I’ve by no means executed these issues as a result of I’m not you, Mr. Cuomo,” Mamdani mentioned in the course of the debate.
“The title is Mamdani, M, A, M, D, A, N, I. You need to discover ways to say it,” he added.
Cuomo and Mamdani are neck and neck with voters, separated by 10 share factors— 55 p.c to 45 p.c— based on a June ballot from the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.
Jared Gans contributed to this text.