Why New York Elects Terrible Politicians

Most Voters Don't Care And Think They'll Be Living Somewhere Else Next Election

One of the most common refrains in politics in the last decade or so is that New York elects terrible politicians. From Rudy Giuliani to Mike Bloomberg, Andrew Cuomo, Eliot Spitzer, Chuck Schumer, Bill de Blasio, George Santos, and Eric Adams, New York politicians have developed a reputation for being incompetent, corrupt, or just plain unlikable. The trope that New York politicians all suck has made the city, and the state, a national political embarrassment.

On more than one occasion, people have asked me why this is the case. What is wrong with the New York electorate that it keeps electing people who suck? I’m likely to be asked this question again this summer. Cuomo, the disgraced former governor bounced from power in 2021 due to a sexual assault, who is one of the most unpopular Democrats with the progressive base, is very likely to win the Democratic primary for New York City Mayor next week over progressive upstart Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblywoman from Astoria, Queens. That is despite the latter’s campaign injecting a lot of excitement. Even if Mamdani wins, moderates and conservatives will ask me how he managed to win over better non-Cuomo candidates.

So why does this keep happening? Why do terrible politicians keep winning? The answer is simple:

Voters don’t care enough about the city or state to be concerned about its long-term stability. This is true of both natives and non-native New Yorkers. Most New York voters may not publicly admit it, but they dislike New York and dream of leaving, so they aren’t as invested in the city’s and state’s future. Frankly, I think this theory also applies to exploring Mamdani’s recent surge, as Mamdani’s campaign strategy has shifted to reaching out to those voters.