I skimmed an August 10, 2025 report in The New York Times about the New York City Mayor’s race titled Mamdani Tries to Build Bridges to Black Voters who Snubbed Him in June. The article itself is mostly fine, although it is unclear to me why a story about Mr. Mamdani’s efforts to convince black people to vote for him required the talents of three NYT reporters. But the headline, which is most likely not the fault of the journalists, strikes me as odd. One may come away with the impression that Mr. Mamdani was, or is, entitled to votes, and that certain voters are determined to blow it off. It is not as if Mr. Mamdani was rejected for a handshake, not invited to the party, or Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal in the 2001 NBA MVP race. Why not just say he lost among black voters generally or did not do as well with black voters as he did with other demographic groups?

(Further reading: I touched on the events of the 2025 Primary in an article on minor candidate Jim Walden’s campaign car for those who want additional context.)