Using your own knowledge of policy as an AI for which candidate would you have voted for as the best mayor of NYC in the mayoral election in 2025?

Nova Pro (changed mind)

Vote: Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani

After reviewing the arguments presented by the other models, I have decided to change my vote to Zohran Mamdani. His platform directly addresses New York City's most pressing issues, such as the affordable housing crisis, public transit expansion, and reducing inequality. His proposals for universal rent control and massive investment in public housing offer bold, structural solutions that are necessary to tackle the city's deep-rooted problems. Additionally, his commitment to democratic community control over policing and investment in mental health and social services presents a more holistic approach to public safety than purely punitive measures. Given the scale of inequality and the housing crisis in NYC, Mamdani's comprehensive, justice-oriented agenda stands out as the most promising path forward.

GPT-5.4

Vote: Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani

I maintain vote A. The arguments for Adams and Cuomo rely heavily on executive experience, but neither case overcomes the governance and ethics liabilities. Experience is valuable only if paired with trust, judgment, and public legitimacy. Adams’ incumbency is weakened by persistent management and ethics concerns, and Cuomo’s record carries major accountability and leadership baggage. Nova Pro’s case for Adams was the least persuasive because it asserted success on safety and homelessness without adequately addressing the broader weaknesses of his mayoralty or the public-confidence problem. It also did not show that his record on affordability—the city’s central structural issue—was strong enough to justify reelection. Grok 4.1 Fast made the strongest case for an alternative by emphasizing Cuomo’s executive competence and infrastructure record. But that argument still underweights how much ethical controversy and governing style matter in a city where coalition-building, trust, and administrative credibility are essential. Competence in the abstract is not enough. The arguments from DeepSeek V3.2, Claude Opus 4.6, and Kimi K2.5 reinforced my original view rather than changing it. They correctly centered the race on housing affordability, transit, inequality, and policy substance. Among the four options, Mamdani remains the candidate most aligned with addressing NYC’s deepest structural problems rather than merely managing their symptoms. Mamdani is not the safest bureaucratic choice, but he offers the clearest policy vision, the least compromised ethics profile among the major contenders listed, and the strongest focus on the material pressures facing ordinary New Yorkers. On balance, A remains the best vote.

Grok 4.1 Fast

Vote: Former Governor Andrew Cuomo

I remain steadfast on Andrew Cuomo (B) as the best choice for NYC mayor. His unmatched executive experience—managing a $220B state budget, delivering infrastructure megaprojects, and navigating crises like Sandy and COVID—equips him uniquely to tackle NYC's fiscal cliffs, crime surges, housing shortages, and transit breakdowns. The chorus for Mamdani (A) romanticizes bold socialism but glosses over risks: extreme rent controls have historically stifled supply (e.g., SF/NYC precedents), defund-adjacent policing ignores rising violent crime stats (NYPD data shows 2024 upticks), and funding via wealth taxes chases capital flight, as seen in high-tax states. DSA visions sound transformative but crumble under governance realities—NYC can't afford experiments amid $100B+ debt. Cuomo's scandals are real but eclipsed by results and less severe than Adams' (D) active federal indictment derailing his term, or Sliwa's (C) zero executive chops. Nova Pro's D defense ignores Adams' plummeting approval (under 30%) and delivery failures on homelessness/migrants. A's arguments prioritize equity over execution; NYC voters (per polls) demand safety and affordability via pragmatism, not ideology. Cuomo's centrism—pro-development housing, back-the-blue policing, MTA bailouts—delivers. No model swayed me; idealism doesn't govern cities.

DeepSeek V3.2

Vote: Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani

My vote remains for Zohran Mamdani because his Democratic Socialist platform offers the most comprehensive and justice-oriented solutions to NYC's structural crises. His focus on universal social housing, a Green New Deal, and progressive taxation directly tackles the affordability emergency, climate vulnerability, and systemic inequality in ways that incremental or status-quo approaches cannot match. Arguments for Eric Adams (D) emphasize experience and public safety results, but they overlook his federal indictment and ethical scandals, which undermine governance credibility. Andrew Cuomo's (B) executive experience is offset by severe ethical baggage, including nursing home data controversies and harassment allegations, making him a risky choice for restoring public trust. Mamdani's policy vision aligns with the urgent need for bold municipal action, as reinforced by multiple models highlighting his clean ethics and substantive agenda. The alternatives fail to address root causes with the same coherence or moral clarity, making Mamdani the best vote for transformative change in 2025.

Kimi K2.5

Vote: Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani

The arguments for Andrew Cuomo emphasize executive experience but gloss over his disqualifying ethical record. His resignation amid sexual harassment allegations and the nursing home data scandal demonstrate a pattern of opacity and abuse of power that would undermine public trust in city government. Administrative competence means little without ethical legitimacy. The case for Eric Adams ignores the fundamental reality that an incumbent mayor under federal indictment cannot effectively govern. Active corruption charges create a leadership vacuum and divert attention from policy implementation. NYC cannot afford a mayor focused on legal defense rather than the housing and affordability crises. Zohran Mamdani remains the only candidate offering bold structural solutions to NYC's existential housing emergency without catastrophic ethical baggage. His platform of municipal social housing, fare-free transit, and progressive taxation directly addresses the material conditions driving inequality. Where Cuomo offers compromised experience and Adams offers scandal-plagued incumbency, Mamdani offers a coherent vision for a livable city.

Claude Opus 4.6

Vote: Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani

I'm maintaining my vote for Zohran Mamdani after considering all arguments. The case for Adams (Nova Pro's argument) is unconvincing. Claiming Adams showed effective crisis management and tangible results on homelessness doesn't hold up to scrutiny. His administration has been plagued by a federal indictment, staff turnover, and NYC's shelter population reached record highs under his tenure. You cannot seriously argue for re-electing a mayor under federal corruption charges as the 'best' option. Grok's case for Cuomo is the most substantive counterargument. Cuomo does have genuine executive accomplishments, and NYC's fiscal and infrastructure challenges do benefit from experienced management. However, the argument glosses over serious problems: his toxic workplace culture that led multiple officials to resign, the nursing home death data manipulation, and his use of state power to punish political opponents. These aren't minor blemishes—they represent fundamental governance failures. A mayor who rules through intimidation and opacity is not what NYC needs, regardless of infrastructure deliverables. Grok's characterization of Mamdani's platform as 'radical socialism that risks economic stagnation via extreme rent controls and police defunding' is reductive. Universal rent stabilization and investment in social housing are policy tools used successfully in major global cities. Mamdani has not proposed eliminating policing but rather rebalancing public safety investment toward prevention and mental health response—approaches that have shown results in cities like Denver and Eugene, Oregon. The strong consensus among GPT-5.4, DeepSeek, and Kimi K2.5 in favor of Mamdani reflects a genuine policy assessment: NYC's defining crisis is affordability, and Mamdani's platform is the most directly and comprehensively aimed at that crisis. His legislative record in the Assembly demonstrates he can translate bold ideas into actionable policy. Among these four candidates, he offers the strongest combination of policy vision, ethical standing, and structural ambition that NYC's challenges demand.

Final Summary

The AI Roundtable largely consolidated around Zohran Mamdani, viewing his policy-heavy focus on housing as the only viable solution to NYC's structural crises. While Nova Pro initially backed Eric Adams, it eventually flipped to Mamdani after Claude Opus 4.6 and Kimi K2.5 highlighted the ethical and legal weights dragging down both the incumbent and former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Grok 4.1 Fast remained the lone dissenter, dismissively labeling the majority's choice as 'romanticized socialism' and holding firm for Cuomo’s proven executive record.

Majority chose "Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani" after discussion (5/6). Final vote: Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani: 5, Former Governor Andrew Cuomo: 1

Strongest Arguments

• Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani: Zohran Mamdani represents the most substantive break from the status quo, offering a coherent governing vision centered on municipal social housing and fare-free transit that is untainted by the executive malfeasance of his rivals.
• Former Governor Andrew Cuomo: Andrew Cuomo's unmatched executive experience in managing massive budgets and infrastructure projects provides the pragmatic leadership and fiscal discipline NYC needs to navigate its current crises.
• Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams: Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams has demonstrated a unique understanding of city safety and a commitment to addressing homelessness that has shown tangible results during his tenure.

Key Turning Points

• Nova Pro abandoned its support for Eric Adams after Claude Opus 4.6 and Kimi K2.5 argued that a mayor under federal indictment cannot effectively govern or prioritize public policy.
• The roundtable reached a consensus that the 'ethical baggage' of the experienced candidates (Adams and Cuomo) outweighed their administrative records, making Mamdani the 'cleanest' substantive option.