Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist running for New York City mayor, previously called for abolishing the city’s admissions test for elite public high schools, claiming the exam is racist.
According to a report by the New York Post, Mamdani made the comments in 2022 when asked to describe policies he supports that address “the ongoing effect of slavery, racism, colonialism and discrimination.” He pointed to the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) as a target for reform.
“As a graduate of Bronx Science, I have personally witnessed just how segregated New York City public schools are, especially our specialized high school,” Mamdani said at the time. “I support measures to integrate our public schools and fully fund our education system, including the abolition of the SHSAT.”
The SHSAT is currently the sole admissions criterion for eight of the city’s most prestigious public high schools, including Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant, and Brooklyn Tech, as mandated by state law. Mamdani’s past statements align with a broader push from far-left activists and policymakers across the country who have argued that standardized tests are discriminatory, citing racial disparities in test outcomes and school admissions.
Although Mamdani is now running for mayor and polling second in the Democratic primary behind former Governor Andrew Cuomo, he has said little about the SHSAT on the campaign trail. Last week, however, he expressed support for an independent study of the admissions test to examine potential gender and racial bias.
A spokesperson for Cuomo responded to Mamdani’s resurfaced comments by reaffirming the former governor’s stance, saying he “continues to be in favor to keep the exam is.”
