A Lawmaker Absent: Zohran Mamdani’s Legislative Record Under Scrutiny Amid Mayoral Campaign

By: Jerome Brookshire

In the turbulent crosscurrents of New York City politics, where ambition often collides with obligation, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has emerged as a symbol of both the soaring potential and the fraught compromises of the progressive movement. At just 33 years old, the Queens Democrat stunned political insiders by capturing the Democratic nomination for mayor earlier this summer. Yet, as The New York Post has documented in repeated investigations, his rise has come with a record of absences that is now threatening to shadow his candidacy.

The most striking example surfaced earlier this month when Mamdani failed to vote on the only piece of legislation he successfully advanced through Albany this year. As The New York Post report on Thursday revealed, the Assemblyman was not in the state Capitol on June 13 when lawmakers approved his modest bill requiring extended public input for certain regulatory decisions. Instead, he was in New York City, standing side by side with Comptroller Brad Lander to announce a campaign alliance designed to maximize their appeal in the city’s ranked-choice primary.

The missed vote — on his own bill — has become emblematic of a larger critique: that Mamdani has allowed his mayoral aspirations to take precedence over the duties for which he was elected to the State Assembly.

The New York Post has reported on Mamdani’s absentee record in Albany, detailing that he missed more than half of the chamber’s roll call votes this year. That figure is particularly glaring in light of the Assembly’s continued allowance for remote voting, a measure originally implemented during the pandemic and maintained for cases of illness, caregiving responsibilities, or other significant obstacles.

Yet Mamdani was not invoking these allowances. Instead, as The New York Post report noted, he was absent from the chamber for extended stretches after the belated passage of New York’s budget in May, choosing instead to focus his attention almost exclusively on the mayoral campaign trail.

The optics were unmistakable: while colleagues returned to Albany to complete the legislative session, Mamdani was in New York City staging campaign events with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, his most high-profile ally, and consolidating support among progressive organizations that had propelled his rapid ascent.

The bill in question — Mamdani’s sole legislative success of 2024 — was hardly controversial. Sponsored in the State Senate by Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, it passed both chambers with only one dissenting vote. Its provisions sought to extend requirements for public participation in regulatory decisions, part of a broader progressive emphasis on transparency and community voice in government processes.

But as The New York Post report pointed out, Mamdani himself was not there to cast his vote. The Assembly’s roll call reflected his absence, even as the legislation glided to approval.

For political observers, the symbolism was potent. “It is rare — exceedingly rare — for a lawmaker to miss the passage of their own bill,” said one longtime Albany staffer, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It’s the one chance to show ownership, to be recorded as the sponsor of a measure you shepherded through the process. Missing that moment sends a message.”

In the days surrounding the vote, Mamdani’s schedule illustrated where his priorities lay. On June 13, he joined Lander in a joint endorsement strategy, touting their alliance as a way to strengthen the city’s progressive movement in the face of fierce establishment opposition. The very next day, as The New York Post report chronicled, he appeared with Ocasio-Cortez at a rally designed to galvanize young voters and left-wing activists ahead of the Democratic primary.

That sequence has fed a narrative of neglect. For months, critics have accused Mamdani of using his Assembly seat less as a platform for legislating and more as a springboard for citywide ambitions. “When you’re running for mayor, you still have a job in Albany,” said one former state legislator quoted in The New York Post report. “Skipping votes — especially your own bill — undercuts the argument that you’re ready for the next level.”

Mamdani’s campaign has pushed back. In earlier comments to The New York Post, a spokesperson argued that he had maintained “a near perfect attendance record through the conclusion of the weeks-delayed New York State Budget,” insisting that he had fulfilled his central obligations before shifting focus to the mayoral race. The campaign did not respond to subsequent requests for comment about his absence on the June 13 vote.

Privately, allies frame the missed vote as an unavoidable conflict between overlapping calendars. “He was managing both roles as best as possible,” one supporter explained. “The campaign had major momentum at that moment. It was a strategic decision, not an abandonment.”

Still, as The New York Post report emphasized, the Assemblyman had the option to cast his vote remotely, an option he did not use.

The spectacle of a legislator skipping duties for a campaign is not unprecedented in New York politics. Governors, attorneys general, and even U.S. senators have faced similar scrutiny when absences in one office coincided with pursuit of another. But what makes Mamdani’s case particularly stark, as The New York Post report observed, is the combination of his limited legislative record and the timing of his absences.

With only one bill passed in 2024 — and missing the vote on that bill — Mamdani lacks the cushion of a broader portfolio. For rivals in the crowded mayoral field, that leaves an opening to question whether his record demonstrates readiness for executive office.

Political strategists note that absences can carry disproportionate weight in campaigns. “The attack ad practically writes itself,” said one consultant quoted in The New York Post. “‘He couldn’t show up for his one bill. Will he show up for you?’ That’s the kind of message that resonates with voters who may not follow Albany closely but understand commitment.”

Mamdani’s rise as a leading contender for mayor has already sparked fierce resistance from New York’s business establishment. As The New York Post has reported, major developers and corporate leaders have convened private meetings to coordinate super PAC spending aimed at stopping his candidacy. At least five political action committees are already in operation, with figures such as Marty Burger of Infinite Global Real Estate Partners and investor Lisa Blau spearheading efforts to funnel millions into anti-Mamdani campaigns.

In that context, any perceived vulnerability in Mamdani’s record is likely to be amplified. The New York Post report noted that his opponents are already framing his absenteeism as evidence of misplaced priorities, suggesting that if elected mayor he might pursue ideology at the expense of governance.

For Mamdani’s supporters, however, the focus on attendance obscures the larger story of his political appeal. His platform, which includes raising taxes on corporations and expanding social services, has energized younger voters and grassroots organizations disenchanted with establishment politics. In a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans six to one, Mamdani’s progressive base gives him a formidable foundation.

Yet the question lingers: can that base overcome the narrative of absenteeism, particularly when amplified by millions in outside spending from corporate-backed PACs?

As the general election approaches, Zohran Mamdani’s absentee record — and the June 13 missed vote in particular — is likely to feature prominently in the campaign.

For Mamdani, the challenge will be to convince voters that his vision for New York City outweighs the blemishes on his Albany record. For his opponents, the skipped vote provides a potent line of attack in a race already defined by ideological contrasts and the unprecedented mobilization of business interests against a single candidate.

In the end, the episode may crystallize the central question of Mamdani’s candidacy: is he the visionary who can redefine New York’s future, or the absentee legislator whose pursuit of higher office left his legislative duties behind?

The answer may determine not only Mamdani’s political fate but the direction of the nation’s largest city for years to come.