Actor Michael Rapaport announces he’s running for New York mayor in 2029 to rescue city from ‘evil’ Zohran Mamdani
The actor has been heavily critical of New York City’s new mayor
Michael Rapaport has said that he intends to run for mayor of New York in 2029.
The actor, who is a virulent supporter of Israel, has made no secret of his intense dislike of Zohran Mamdani who was sworn in as mayor of New York City on New Year’s Day. Mamdani’s victory has been welcomed by many in the largest city in the US, who view it as a break from the status quo of the democratic party.
After interviewing Trump voters on the streets, Mamdani ran a successful campaign focussed on making New York City affordable, including policies aimed at managing rising rents and cost of groceries.
But Rapaport has frequently gone out of his way to criticize New York City’s first Muslim mayor, and has now taken his opposition to the extent that he has announced that he intends to run against Mamdani in 2029.
Actor and comic Michael Rapaport (Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
Beginning his I Am Rapaport podcast on Monday, the actor opened with a bizarre greeting, saying: “Welcome to the ziggy zone of disruption. My name is Michael Rapaport, a.k.a. Mayor Rapaport. Mr. Mayor Rapaport, a.k.a. The Gringo Mandingo, a.k.a. The Enflamed Ashkenazi, a.k.a. The Sultan of Sniff.”
Throughout the episode, the actor referred to himself as ‘Mayor Rapaport’, before making the big reveal at the end of the episode.
“Let me tell you something, guys, girls, women, children of all ages,” he began. “2025 was crazy, and I don’t see it getting any f*cking calmer or cooler in 2026, the way things started. That’s why I’m running for mayor.”
He added: “Born. Raised. NYC. Nothing’s free. No bullsh*t. No fake grins. I’ll own my mistakes, apologize when I screw up, and fight to make this city safe, affordable, and thriving.
“You got Zoron [sic] the Moron now… Mayor Rapaport is coming.”
In a tirade, the actor added: “He’s got a f*cking evil f*cking grin. And I think he’s up to no good.”
Zohran Mamdani is sworn in as mayor of New York City (Amir Hamja-Pool/Getty Images)
Rapaport is not alone in criticizing Mamdani, with Debra Messing making extreme comments directed at Mamdani’s politics and his religion in which she called Mamdani ‘an actual communist jihadist’ and ‘a literal Karl Marx-quoting, America-hating jihadist’.
Mamdani has previously described himself as a ‘democratic socialist’ and was open about his Muslim faith throughout his campaign.
In his inaugural speech, Mamdani said: “I stand alongside over one million New Yorkers who voted for this day nearly two months ago, and I stand just as resolutely alongside those who did not.
“I know there are some who view this administration with distrust or disdain, or who see politics as permanently broken.
“And while only action can change minds, I promise you this: if you are a New Yorker, I am your Mayor.
“Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you, and never, not for a second, hide from you.”
Featured Image Credit: John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images/Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Topics: New York, News, Podcast, Politics, US News, Zohran Mamdan
New York City’s new mayor is expected to be unveiled today as thousands of voters are set to take to the polls.
The three candidates facing off are former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, Republican Curtis Sliwa and Democrat Zohran Mamdani.
One of them will replace the current mayor, Democrat and former NYPD captain Eric Adams, who ended his re-election campaign back in September.
Opinion polls suggest Mamdani is the front-runner for the race, as per the BBC.
If elected, he would be New York’s first-ever Muslim mayor.
The youngest of the three main candidates at 34 years old, Mamdani describes himself as a ‘democratic socialist’.
Zohran Mamdani is the favorite to be elected as New York City’s mayor (Rob Kim/Getty Images)
His policies include increasing taxes on the city’s wealthiest, increasing publicly subsidized housing and freezing stabilized apartment rental rates.
What time will the New York City Mayor be announced?
Polls across New York’s five boroughs – the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island – are open between 6am and 9pm ET today (Tuesday November 4).
While there’s no specific deadline for the winner to be announced, it could be within minutes after the polls close this evening – especially if the last mayoral election is anything to go by.
In 2021, Adams was declared the winner around 10 minutes after polls closed, winning with roughly two-thirds of the vote.
So, chances are we’ll know the new mayor before the day is out.
What has Donald Trump said of the Mayoral race?
President Donald Trump has slammed Mamdani as a ‘communist’ in an interview with 60 Minutes’ Norah O’Donnell.
In the unusual exchange, which viewers branded delusional, Trump also brought his own appearance into the conversation.
As O’Donnell went to ask Trump about the upcoming election, saying: “Zohran Mamdani, 34 year old Democratic Socialist—,” Trump cut her off and interjected with: “Communist, not a socialist. He’s a communist. He’s far worse than a socialist.”
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Donald Trump says he’ll stop funds to New York if Mamdani is elected mayor (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
O’Donnell continued her question, asking: “Some people have compared him to a left-wing version of you; charismatic, breaking the old rules – what do you think about that?”
Without skipping a beat, Trump retorted: “Well I think I’m a much better-looking person than him, right?”
Trump has instead thrown his weight behind independent candidate Cuomo, who served as governor between 2011 and 2021, resigning after numerous sexual misconduct allegations, all of which he denies.
Trump discarded Republican candidate Sliwa, claiming a vote for him is ‘a vote for Mamdani’.
Trump has thrown his support behind former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
The president had previously threatened to send no more than ‘the very minimum’ level of federal funding to New York should Mamdani be elected.
And in a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job.
“He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!”
Cuomo hit back that Trump is not endorsing him, but opposing Mamdani.