Staten Island Leaders Renew Secession Push After Mamdani Election
15th November 2025
And who could blame them?
Staten Island lawmakers are reviving a long-running effort to have the borough secede from New York City, arguing that Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s win earlier this month has deepened the political divide between the so-called “forgotten borough” and the rest of the city.
State Sen. Andrew Lanza, a Staten Island Republican who has pushed secession legislation since 2008, said the political climate is now aligning with Staten Island’s longstanding frustrations.
“The Democratic Socialist could not be further out of sync with the values of communities on Staten Island,” Lanza told The New York Post, adding that Democrats may be less motivated to block the effort because losing Staten Island could make it even harder for the city to elect a Republican mayor.