On Sunday evening (April 12), New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani held a 100-day governance event to showcase the achievements he has made since taking office as the mayor of 8.5 million New Yorkers on January 1. He emphasized the government’s role in areas such as childcare, housing, labor rights, and public services. However, media and policy analysts have questioned the extent to which his promises have been fulfilled, scrutinizing the many unfulfilled commitments or policy changes made by this youngest mayor after taking office.
His supporters and prominent figure in American socialism, U.S. Senator Bennie Sanders, also attended the event.
As he declared during his inauguration, Mamdani first promised to his cheering supporters on the ground, “I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist.”
Mamdani first announced his pride in the “Universal Childcare Policy” that he had implemented. “We initially promised universal childcare, and just eight days later, we fulfilled that promise,” Mamdani exclaimed, crediting the historic $1.2 billion cooperation reached with the governor and the active participation of over 100,000 New York citizens during his campaign.
Mamdani then addressed his commitment to tenant protections. In addition to penalizing non-compliant landlords and housing repairs, he appointed six members to the Rent Guidelines Board, hoping they would make decisions on rents in a short period. The audience then shouted in unison, “Freeze rent!”
Mamdani also emphasized accelerating housing construction to maintain New York’s status as a global business hub through infrastructure investments and industrial development. He reiterated that his governing philosophy is to “direct government resources towards the majority of the people, rather than a minority interest group.”
Mamdani also promised to fill 100,000 potholes, confiscate thousands of guns from the New York City Police Department, reduce crime rates, and ensure economic growth in the five boroughs, all under his hundred-day governance achievements.
Most importantly, Mamdani attributes all these accomplishments to being a “socialist.” Mamdani loudly called for “taxing the rich,” quoting the famous American socialist mayor, Daniel Hoan, saying, “To build a great society, we must tax the wealthy!”
Upon the occasion of Mamdani’s 100 days in office, local media have recounted his unfulfilled empty promises. The New York Post stated, “After 100 days in office, many of Mamdani’s campaign promises have turned to dust, either making a 180-degree turn or significantly cutting down policies, nearly unrecognizable.”
The media outlined Mamdani’s unfulfilled promises. Firstly, the “public grocery stores”: so far, none of these stores have opened, with the mayor stating at the event that the first one would not open until next year, totaling five public grocery stores to address rising food prices.
Secondly, Mamdani promised to establish a new “Community Safety Department” to address the mental health and homelessness problems originally handled by the police, but there’s been no progress to date. Moreover, Mamdani initially cancelled Mayor Adams’ “homeless camps” approach, then later reversed course and reinstated the camps.
Additionally, Mamdani also modified his original plan for the New York Police Department (NYPD). For example, he intended to disband the “Strategic Response Group” but told The New York Times that he was discussing the matter with Commissioner Tish, respecting her opinions and hesitating to disband it. Furthermore, Mamdani planned to eliminate the gang database of the NYPD, but is wavering under Tish’s opposition.
There have also been changes regarding housing vouchers. Adams opposed expanding the CityFHEPS housing voucher program’s coverage, angering progressive city council members. Mamdani’s campaign website clearly promised that he would withdraw Adams’ lawsuit against the program’s expansion if elected mayor. However, once elected, Mamdani reversed course and officially filed an appeal, trying to maintain a lawsuit against CityFHEPS expansion, which advocates deemed a “betrayal.”
Mamdani’s stance on small class sizes and public libraries has also changed repeatedly.
As the hundred days mark approaches, a poll shows Mamdani’s approval rating has dropped to 48%, more than 10 percentage points lower than Adams’ rating at the same point in his term.
“Mamdani’s honeymoon period is over,” a consulting firm executive told The Post, noting that while Mamdani’s relationship with New York City has not ruptured, “campaigning is a sprint, but governing is a marathon. This is not going to be an easy ending.”