Friends in NYC, it’s time to make the fortune cookie fortune I got in July come true. Tuesday, November 4, we have the chance to elect Zohran Mamdani as our mayor and seize a glimmer of hope and defiance in this monstrous year 2025.
Please visit vote.nyc/page/find-your-poll-site to find your poll site and sample ballot, then get out to the polls between 6 am and 9 pm on Tuesday to vote!
And if you have some time, please consider volunteering for the Mamdani campaign to get out the vote! You can pick a neighborhood and sign up right here! It’s pretty easy and fun and you’ll be able to say you were part of something incredibly special.
You’ll also have the chance to vote on six ballot proposals. If you’re not sure how to vote, please feel free to check out this post, which goes over the research I did and explains why I voted how I did. Even if you don’t vote the way I did, the post provides loads of resources and links that should help you make your decisions.
I also recommend voting on the Working Families Party line. You can fill in the bubble for “Democratic” or “Working Families Party” for many of the Democrats on the ballot — your vote counts just the same either way. But when you fill in the WFP bubble, you send a big message to everyone — especially the mushy moderates in the Democratic Party — that you support genuinely progressive policies. I’m a Democrat, but I vote on the WFP line whenever I can.
But what if you’re still undecided about the mayoral election? Well, here’s my brief pitch told with the help of a few photographs.
First, Mamdani genuinely loves us and our city. I’ve photographed him a couple of times, and you can see both his joy and his care for others in every interaction. And of course that notion of care over punishment pervades every aspect of his platform, from freezing the rent to free buses to no-cost child care to creating a Department of Community Safety to increase mental health programs and crisis response.
@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social speaks to folks after the @nywfp.bsky.social #RankTheSlate rally in Fort Greene Park. Nikon FM2n, Nikon Nikkor 105mm f2.5, Kodak Tri-X. #BelieveInFilm #RankTheSlate
— Greg Pak (@gregpak.com/gpn/) May 24, 2025 at 11:26 PM
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Hey, I got my 35mm film from the West Indian Day Parade developed! Here's a thread! @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social has a moment with @nywfp.bsky.social member Althea Matthews. Nikon FM2n, Nikon Nikkor 105mm f2.5, Kodak Gold 200. #BelieveInFilm #35mmLoveLetter
— Greg Pak (@gregpak.com/gpn/) September 5, 2025 at 9:43 AM
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You can see that care for others in the relationships Mamdani has with fellow electeds in New York City, and that’s a huge thing. The good vibes of the Democratic primary in June felt unprecedented because ranked choice voting meant that the New York Working Families Party and other groups endorsed a slate of progressive candidates to essentially run together against Cuomo and Eric Adams. These candidates clearly liked each other, and the vibe between Mamdani and Brad Lander in particular was outstanding.
Another shot of Lander and Mamdani looking like pals. Nikon FE, Nikon 50mm f1.4 (I think), Kodak Tri-X.
— Greg Pak (@gregpak.com/gpn/) June 13, 2025 at 12:37 PM
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Mamdani and Lander, a Muslim and a Jew, both staunch progressives and best buddies on the campaign trail, showed us the kind of we-actually-CAN-get-along vibes that NYC represents at its BEST.
Mamdani and @bradlander.bsky.social had a vibe that absolutely changed the race, too. A Muslim and a Jew, best buddies on the campaign trail, showing us the kind of we-actually-CAN-get-along vibes that NYC represents at its BEST. blacksky.community/profile/did:…
— Greg Pak (@gregpak.com/gpn/) November 3, 2025 at 10:54 AM
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Unlike Cuomo, who has shown himself to be a miserable racist hatemonger, Mamdani has taken every opportunity to open the door, to embrace everyone, to demonstrate through words and outreach that he will be a mayor for every one of us. Here he is during the Pride parade, choosing to wave the trans flag at a time when bigoted politicians – including some “centrist” Democrats – across the country have been demonizing trans people. One of my huge barometers for any politician is if they’re standing up for trans people and immigrants. Mamdani passes that test with flying colors – he’ll stand up for all of us.
A joy to march in NYC Pride with the people's champ Tish James 🏳️🌈
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social) June 29, 2025 at 3:45 PM
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So when Cuomo just a couple of weeks ago released an unspeakably racist, Islamophobic, “A.i.” generated ad, I felt sick to my stomach. And Mamdani’s incredible response literally made me cry. Mamdani is the very best of us. The kind face of this incredibly tiny small town of a city that we love so much. And those bigots are trying to make him feel less-than? Trying to make ALL of us feel less-than? Their days are done.
Let’s do this, y’all. Get to the polls and vote this man in, and let’s protect our neighbors and our city with joy and care.
Friends, Tuesday is Election Day in NYC, and it's time to VOTE FOR @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social! Here's a thread of why I'm voting for him, along with photos I've taken over the past few months. FIRST, the dude cares. He loves this city and he loves us. And care > punishment, baby.
— Greg Pak (@gregpak.com/gpn/) November 3, 2025 at 10:48 AM
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