1:14 New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani was present at the 2025 New York City Pride March on June 29, 2025, in New York. | Mike Bloomberg, the former Mayor of New York and CEO of Bloomberg L.P., departs from lunch at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 12, 2023, in Sun Valley, Idaho. Rob Kim/Getty Images | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
He advocated for complimentary crosstown bus services. He endorsed significant tax increases on the affluent—including an 18.5% rise in property taxes—asserting that none of his wealthy acquaintances expressed intentions to leave the city due to elevated taxes. He advocated for millions to establish supermarkets in historically neglected areas.
Moreover, under his initiative, municipal employees could allocate privately raised funds to New Yorkers scheduling dental visits or ensuring their children remain in school.
However, these progressive initiatives are not attributed to New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani. Analysts indicated they originated from Michael Bloomberg, New York’s billionaire former Republican mayor and a notable supporter of Andrew Cuomo’s mayoral campaign.
As Mamdani redefines the city’s political landscape, some analysts informed ABC News that a remarkable similarity is surfacing. Beneath the labels of “socialist” and “technocrat,” both individuals pursue comparable objectives: taxing the wealthy in times of crisis, advocating for expansive transit ideas, and implementing ambitious strategies to provide fresh produce to low-income neighborhoods. Nevertheless, analysts noted that despite the policy alignment, most New Yorkers do not perceive them as alike.
They highlight that many recognize Mamdani as an organizer who has asserted that capitalism constitutes a form of theft; Bloomberg as a businessman who amassed a fortune managing the free market that Mamdani critiques. Mamdani identifies as a democratic socialist and has remarked, “I don’t believe we should have billionaires.” Bloomberg ranks among the wealthiest individuals globally.
Neither Mamdani nor Bloomberg offered comments to ABC News.
Michael Bloomberg, co-founder and owner of Bloomberg L.P. and former Mayor of New York City, walks to a morning session at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 10, 2025, in Sun Valley, Idaho.Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Mamdani recently acknowledged in a discreet meeting with business leaders that he aspires to follow Bloomberg’s lead on several matters—even as he faces criticism from numerous members of the business community, sources familiar with the situation told ABC News.
“There’s a resistance from many influential entities … And it isn’t about Mamdani’s political stance; it relates to the fact that he doesn’t originate from their circles,” Democratic strategist Peter Feld informed ABC News.
Bloomberg invested $8 million supporting Cuomo’s unsuccessful attempt to become the Democratic mayoral nominee.
“If you were to identify which of these elements align, you likely wouldn’t associate Bloomberg with Mamdani,” Christine Quinn, the former city council speaker who assisted Bloomberg in enacting significant policies, remarked to ABC News. “However, when you dig deeper, there are numerous commonalities.”
Free buses
As early as 2007, Bloomberg articulated his public transit aspirations, stating to WABC, “If you were to create the ultimate system, mass transit would be free, and you would impose a hefty charge for cars.”
During his 2009 re-election campaign, Bloomberg suggested that some crosstown buses in Manhattan should be free of charge. An archived screenshot from his campaign website reads, “The MTA should eliminate fare collection…”
At a campaign gathering, he referred to the MTA as “overblown” and “inefficient.”
The New York Times highlighted observers who deemed the proposal “radical,” while a Regional Plan Association official remarked that it “captured people’s imaginations.”
A key element of Mamdani’s campaign advocates for free fares on all bus routes. After piloting a fare-free initiative on five lines as an assemblymember, Mamdani compared it to the free programs in Kansas City and Boston. Cuomo
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
