Zohran Mamdani calls out surviving participants for anti-Cuomo campaign ad
The tribe has spoken… and they’re voting Andrew Cuomo off the island.
Several recent “Survivor” contestants – including Teeny Chirichillo (Season 47), Yam Yam Arocho (Season 44) and Katurah Topps (Season 45) – have returned to tribal council to advocate for Zohran Mamdani in a new campaign ad paid for by the New York City mayoral candidate.
The spot, which aired locally on WCBS-TV in New York during Wednesday night’s episode of “Survivor,” is one of several in a seven-figure ad buy to reach different demographics of the voting public. Mamdani’s campaign ran a “Bachelor” inspired ad during a recent episode of “The Golden Bachelor.”
“Andrew, New Yorkers want a mayor who makes groceries and childcare affordable, and doesn’t sell us out to their billionaire donors,” Chirichillo says in the ad, holding up a piece of the show’s signature voting paper with Cuomo’s name on it, as if voting him out of the race.
In a twist on the confessionals shown during the elimination ceremonies of “Survivor,” Brandon Donlon (season 45) pushes for “a mayor who will make buses fast and free,” while Arocho hopes to elect someone who “won’t defund the MTA.”
Before Cuomo’s fictional torch is extinguished, Natalie Anderson (season 29) makes a final plea: “We’re with Congressman Zohran Mamdani. He will stand up to Trump, freeze rent, and provide universal child care.”
Mamdani appears at the end of the spot and concludes, “We are going to build a city where no one has to struggle to survive.”
WCBS placed a disclaimer before the ad to ensure this was not seen as an endorsement by the brand: “The following message is not associated with ‘Survivor’ or CBS.” It is understood that CBS and the ‘Survivor’ producers were not consulted regarding the use of the ‘Survivor’ concept or the performance by previous participants.
“Federal law required our New York station WCBS-TV to run this candidate ad, despite no association whatsoever with ‘Survivor’ or WCBS-TV,” a CBS spokesperson said in a statement.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old Democratic Socialist and lawmaker whose progressive economic platform has energized younger voters, won the Democratic primary in a stunning upset. He and his rivals — former Gov. Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate — are expected to spend millions of advertising dollars ahead of the Nov. 4 mayoral election.
