Hour after hour, door after door, rejection after rejection, Maxwell Dickinson—a field lead for Zohran Mamdani’s Bronx field team—spent four hours door knocking. He endured cold shoulders and deaf ears, all in an attempt to garner support for the Mamdani campaign.
“Since April, I’ve been knocking on doors, talking with people about Mr. Mamdani,” Dickinson said. “Today, I knocked on about 87 doors. About 20 of those people actually talked to me.”
His goal was to drive support for Mamdani; however, he was also tasked with collecting information about what Bronx residents want out of their next mayor. He listened to each person that was willing to converse with him, taking the time to gain an authentic perspective on what was most important to the Bronx community.
Out of the variety of people he talked to, the top areas of concern included: affordable housing, child care, adequate education, community safety, and a desire to be seen and acknowledged by the next mayor.
Dickinson was able to determine what Bronx residents want from the election, but what is motivating them to elect the next mayor?
When asked who they were supporting, their responses typically fell into two categories. They were either supporting a candidate because they legitimately promoted policies that they viewed to be beneficial towards their community, or they were voting for someone because they had a positive perception of them. Even though the collective goal was electing a mayor that will benefit the Bronx, the distinctive reasoning of “policy voters” versus “social image voters” was apparent.
The residents that supported a candidate based purely on their perspective of them focused more on a particular candidate’s character and public reputation. Bronx residents who said they prioritized the candidates’ social images often highlighted specific character flaws and social practices that prevented them from supporting a particular candidate.
Gerald Farmer, a 65-year-old Bronx resident who has spent a vast majority of his life living in the city, was one Bronx voter who emphasized the importance of character and the importance of having a leader with strong morals.
He specifically mentioned Adams, and how he initially seemed like a great candidate; however, he lost faith in Adams after his various scandals and corruption charges.
Farmer gave little acknowledgement to Cuomo—referring to the former governor as “a f******* crook.” He cited Cuomo’s previous scandal with the nursing homes during the pandemic and the allegations of sexual harassment that were levied against him.
After commenting on how he would not support Cuomo or Adams because of his negative perception of them, Farmer explained what it would take for him to support a particular candidate.
“All of these other candidates, all they are is a bunch of politicians,” Farmer said. “That’s why I want to vote for the one who is going to do the right thing. I rather vote for the small fry because they’re trying to make it up, and they’re being real.”
Other older Bronx residents echoed similar sentiments. They spoke about the lack of morals amongst some of the candidates that were running—expressing a strong desire for someone to step up and become a positive influence on their city.
José and Maggie, a middle aged couple who live in the Bronx, spoke about their perception of the mayoral candidates—explaining how their views of particular each candidate’s character and persona have driven their support in this election.
“Mamdani, not sure if I like him,” José said. “[He’s a] socialist right?”
His wife also mentioned how Mamdani’s connection to democratic socialism sparked confusion and hesitancy, and she took the time to voice her support for Adams. Maggie praised Adams as a good man and leader. She believed that Adams was the right candidate and expressed how he has not been given a fair shot yet.
“I feel like Eric Adams had a plan and everywhere he turned there was an issue,” Maggie said. “I don’t know. I don’t feel like he got a fair chance.”
Both José and Maggie had clear feelings toward certain candidates; however, they did not identify the political agendas and campaign platforms of Adams, Cuomo, or Mamdani. They spoke purely about how each candidate made them feel.
José concluded the interview stating how he was supporting the person that made him feel the most comfortable: “I guess when you get familiar with people you really want to stay with that person, so I would rather have Cuomo.”
On the other hand, some voters explained how the race was more than just an assessment of character. The voters who chose not to support a candidate based on their social image provided specific policies that drove them to support their desired candidate. These voters led with policy in their interviews and made it a point to emphasize the importance of policy.
Dickinson was one voter who prioritized policy when determining who he was going to support for mayor. He spoke about the importance of strong and impactful policies and how doing good is so much more important than looking good.
“The personality helps…, but that’s only half the battle,” Dickinson said. “I think if he [Mamdani] was as young and charming but didn’t have any ideas, then I wouldn’t have supported him.”
Jose, nephew of the former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr, was another voter who focused on policy. He articulated how Mamdani’s policies were the driving factors that encouraged him to pay attention and get involved with the mayoral race.
“I’m one of the New Yorkers that is being hit by his message,” Jose said. “The public transport, the government ran supermarkets, all of that—I live in the part of the Bronx, by Yankee Stadium actually, where a lot of the people there don’t struggle to get groceries, but we all really rely on food stamps.
“Hearing everything Mamdani says, especially seeing how New York has been under the Adams administration, I just would rather see a new face.”
For voters like Dickinson and Diaz’s nephew Jose, policy is driving them to poles. Seeing exactly how a candidate plans to change their way of life is what they hold paramount.
Conversely, for voters like Farmer, José and Maggie, their votes are primarily determined by their perception of the candidates. The character of the individual supersedes policy because they are investing in the idea of that person and what they can potentially represent. They feel as though their vote is an investment in a man, not necessarily a particular mission.
Though many Bronx residents fell into these two neighboring perspectives, there was another viewpoint that was widely apparent during the interview process. Some Bronx residents felt as though their borough was being overlooked entirely.
“The ambience of the Bronx is not like downtown,” Bronx resident Kojo Dennis said. “It feels lesser than. The people aren’t lesser than. It just feels lesser than.”
The feeling of being overlooked caused some residents to call the entire election pointless.
Augustin Velos, a Bronx resident who has been living in the borough for the past two years, spoke about his lack of faith in New York politicians. Velos, who is a part of the large Hispanic population within the Bronx, articulated his concerns for how his people are often overlooked.
“[Los políticos] defienden un poco del pueblo, pero defienden sus intereses,” he said.
This translates to: “The politicians defend some of the people, but they defend their own interests first.”
Velos explained how he felt as though politicians had no problem using the Bronx as a source of political capital; however, when it came to helping and promoting change within the borough itself, they left much to be desired.
He further expounded upon his position by proclaiming that the people can not realistically rely on politicians alone for meaningful change. Instead, they need to go out and work for the change that they want to see within their own communities.
Despite Velos’ pessimism, he reverberates the same desire as his fellow residents. His pessimism is a symptom of political officials’ lacking engagement with the communities within the Bronx.
According to the NYC Votes 2024 Voter Analysis Report, the Bronx had the lowest voter turnout in the November general election with only 52% of the eligible voting population deciding to cast their vote.
Considering the feelings of the Bronx residents, these results are unsurprising.
For the residents who have not succumbed to voter fatigue, their motivations seemed fairly split between support for a particular candidate’s policies and support for a particular candidate’s character; however, the bigger issue seems to be the remaining group who refuses to give support to any candidate because they do not have faith that any politician will bring about real change.
