Attorney Randy Mastro explains why he thinks NYC needs open primaries | The Point with Marcia Kramer
Randy Mastro, a longtime public servant, has become a thorn in the side of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Mastro, a former federal prosecutor who has held high City Hall posts in two administrations, appeared on The Point with Marcia Kramer on Sunday to discuss several topics, including his lawsuits against the city. One raises the issue of open primaries, where all registered voters can participate regardless of party affiliation.
Asked why that's so important, Mastro said, "Well, because too many New Yorkers are left on the sidelines by our partisan primary system."
Kramer said that number equals about 1.1 million people.
"That's a huge percentage of the voting population because they're registered independents. They just get no say," Mastro said. "What we have now is the partisan primary process, where, in the Democratic primary, very few people show up. Whoever comes out of that primary, in this case Zohran Mamdani, they are the presumptive frontrunner and winner in the general election. So you leave on the sidelines over 1 million New Yorkers who don't even get to vote because unless you are a registered Democrat, you cannot vote in that primary."
Mastro said more than 80% of major cities in the U.S. -- with populations of 500,000 and above -- have open primaries.
"It is what cities do. You know why? Because there's no Republican or Democrat way to pick up the garbage. That's what our greatest mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia, taught us. It's a non-partisan role, and when you play partisan politics, when you only govern to your base, that's the antithesis of good government at the local level," Mastro said.
Kramer also spoke to Manhattan Assemblyman Tony Simone about some of the issues, most notably homeless encampments in the city, and how the Mamdani administration's handling of them compares to his predecessor, former Mayor Eric Adams.
To watch an extended interview with Simone, please click here.
