Summary taken from Opinion Column in NYT Oct 4, 2026.
Mamdani Is Showing the World How It’s Done, Columnist: Lydia Polgreen
As world leaders gathered for the UN General Assembly in New York, Mamdani welcomed city mayors from around the world. His message was simple: the best way to address authoritarianism is to fill potholes!
“If politics cannot deliver on the block where you live, why would you trust it to deliver anywhere,” said Mamdani.
More than 200,000 potholes have been filled since Mamdani took office.
“If you are making a New Yorker’s life a little smoother, so too you are making their journey to believe in government’s ability to deliver for them,” Mamdani went on to say.
“Politics has to translate to the pavement.”