Leftist figures boost NY mayoral hopeful

New York mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani was boosted by prominent US leftists at a get-out-the-vote rally on Sunday, as the Democratic socialist and Donald Trump foe closed in on the city’s top job.

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New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, centre, is seen with Sen Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) during an election rally at Forest Hills Stadium on Sunday, in the Queens borough of New York City. AFP

(AFP)

Sen Bernie Sanders and Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke ahead of Mr Mamdani, who has gone from an outsider to the unpredictable race's front-runner — and a standard bearer with them on the Democratic Party's left.

Sunday’s rally at a Queens stadium came after early voting in the city of 8.5 million began the day before, with Election Day scheduled for Nov 4 and the new mayor taking office in the New Year.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez, whose congressional district contains portions of Queens, said that on election day “we will send a loud message to President Donald Trump that his authoritarianism is no good here’, sparking chants of “AOC”.