Actor and podcaster Michael Rapaport announced his candidacy for the 2029 New York City mayoral race one day into Zohran Mamdani’s term. “I, Michael Rapaport, will be running for mayor of New York City in 2029,” said the 55-year-old comedian in an Instagram video posted on Jan. 1. “You got ‘Zoron the moron’ now [sic]. But have no fear, Mayor Rapaport will be here,” the Atypical actor added. Rapaport, a Jewish native of New York City’s Upper East Side, was a staunch critic of Mamadani during the NYC mayoral campaign for the 34-year-old Democratic socialist’s pro-Palestine stance. The comedian and podcaster became an outspoken advocate for Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack and said Jewish people should “reclaim and proudly own the term ‘Zionist’.” In the video announcing his candidacy, Rapaport promised, “I will be running my campaign on the fact that nothing will be free.” This seemed to be a shot at some Mamdani campaign promises, like free buses in the city. He also appeared to take a swipe at Mamdani’s affable persona, saying, “Every single time I make a mistake, I will acknowledge it, I will apologize and I won’t do it with a s--t-eating grin.”
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