Almost 7,000 Jewish metropolis voters not too long ago registered as Democrats forward of the June mayoral major — a doubtlessly ominous signal for Zohran Mamdani and different lefty candidates considered as mushy on antisemitism.
Greater than 4,130 of the Jewish voters who simply signed on with the Democratic Celebration — and thus are allowed to vote within the major — had been beforehand registered as unbiased or belonged to the Republican or one other occasion, in accordance with the Jewish Voters Motion Community, which pushed the hassle.
One other 2,564 new Jewish voters even have enrolled as Democrats.
That’s a complete of 6,695 contemporary registered Dem voters since January — and the numbers ought to solely develop, the group stated.
“We predict this registration drive is an enormous deal. Jewish voters are a sleeping large in New York politics,” JVAN founder Maury Litwack informed The Put up on Sunday. “And they’re awake.
“Jews are displaying as much as play. We’re not ignoring this election. We’re punching above our weight.”
The voting push comes from the identical playbook that Jewish organizers used to assist unseat “Squad” member Jamaal Bowman in a Home major final 12 months.
Issues about antisemitism are driving up curiosity within the 2025 elections amongst Jews throughout the spectrum — orthodox, conservative and reformed, Litwak stated.
Antisemitism spiked after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of Israel and the next warfare in Gaza, triggering anti-Israel protests, notably on faculty campuses, in New York and all through the US.
“Antisemitism is on the rise. Jews are saying they need their voices heard on the poll field,” Litwack stated.
He stated the hassle to re-register voters as Democrats is as a result of the winner of the Democratic major might be closely favored to win the overall election, even towards embattled Mayor Eric Adams, a Dem who’s skipping the first race and working as an unbiased.
Democrats vying for the occasion nod in June embrace front-runner and ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, surging Democratic Socialists of America candidate Mamdani, metropolis Comptroller Brad Lander, his predecessor Scott Stringer, state Sens. Jessica Ramos and Zellnor Myrie, former state Bronx Assemblyman Michael Blake and financier Whitney Tilson.
There are a complete of round 3.77 million registered Democrats within the metropolis, practically 25% of whom voted within the final mayoral election in 2021, in accordance with the Gotham Gazette.
Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa will once more be Republican nominee as he was in 2021, and former federal prosecutor Jim Walden is also working as an unbiased.
The JVAN, which has devoted $7 million to the Jewish voter mobilization effort, is non-partisan and isn’t endorsing any candidate.
However Litwack is a staunch critic of the left-wing Israel-bashing DSA, which counts anti-Israel critic Mamdani as a member.
Litwack helped mobilize Jewish voters in Westchester County final 12 months for the Democratic major for Congress, the place challenger George Latimer toppled incumbent and Israel critic Bowman.
Jews voted overwhelmingly for Latimer, the extra reasonable, pro-Israel candidate.
“Jews stepped as much as vote within the Bowman-Latimer race. It was a wake-up name,” Litwack stated.
“Jewish voters have been reasonable for a while. They’re involved in regards to the excessive left and the intense proper.”
Within the Metropolis Council districts that JVAN targeted on in its registration push, Jewish voters make up a lot bigger percentages of the general latest re-registrants, in accordance with the group’s evaluation.
- In Manhattan’s District 4 on the East Aspect, 330 Jewish voters accounted for 49% or practically half of re-registrants.
- In District 5 on the Higher East Aspect of Manhattan, 353 Jewish voters made up 48% of re-registrants.
- In District 6 on the Higher West Aspect of Manhattan, 323 Jewish voters made up 46% of re-registrants.
- In Brooklyn’s District 48 (Coney Island-Sea Gate, Brighton Seaside, Midwood, Gravesend Homecrest, Madison, Sheepshead Bay-Manhattan Seaside-Gerritsen Seaside), 178 Jewish voters accounted for 53% of re-registrants.
- In Brooklyn District 39 (Kensington, Borough Park, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, and the Columbia Waterfront), 158 Jewish voters made up 25% of all re-registrants.
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