As the race for New York City mayor nears its end, the shrinking pool of undecided voters is being shaped by moral confrontation and identity politics. It is terrain where Zohran Mamdani, the out-of-nowhere Democratic primary winner, excels. It is also where Andrew Cuomo, the former Democratic governor turned independent candidate, risks appearing weak when seen as “soft” on that city’s bogeyman, President Trump.

Mamdani has made opposing Trump a central theme of his campaign. Cuomo has not. Although Cuomo has broadly opposed the president in the past, he has avoided making that opposition a defining message this time around. It is a curious strategy, especially considering Cuomo's strong anti-Trump record as governor, and with most likely voters saying the next mayor should take a strong stand against the president on immigration, threats of withholding federal funding, and more.

Indeed, Cuomo has called himself the “last person” Trump would want as mayor — but not because of who he is. Rather, his reasoning is that a Mamdani administration would make Democrats look so bad it would be a “gift” to Trump. He insists that Trump plays no role in his campaign. When asked about a reported secret phone call with Trump, Cuomo claimed they did not discuss the mayoral race.

At a mayoral forum held last week by Crain's magazine, Mamdani invoked Trump twice — both times to rally the room against the president’s threats to choke off federal aid to the city. He told the........

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