Tribes have talked…and they are voting for Andrew Cuomo from the island.
Several recent “Survivor” contestants, including Teeny Chirichillo (Season 47), Yum Yum Arocho (Season 44) and Caturra Topps (Season 45), returned to Tribal Council to support Zoran 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 seven-figure ads purchased to reach different segments of the electorate. Mamdani’s campaign ran a “Bachelor”-inspired ad during a recent episode of “The Golden Bachelor.”
“Andrew, New Yorkers want a mayor who will make groceries and child care affordable, not sell us out to billionaire donors,” Chiricillo said in the ad, holding up a special voting parchment with Cuomo’s name on it, as if to remove him from the race.
In a twist on a confession made during the Survivor elimination ceremony, Brandon Donlon (Season 45) is pushing for a “mayor who makes buses free, fast,” while Arocho wants to elect someone who “won’t defund the MTA.”
Before Cuomo’s imaginary torch goes out, Natalie Anderson (Season 29) makes a final plea: “We stand with Congressman Zoran Mamdani. He will stand up to Trump, freeze rents, and achieve universal child care.”
Mamdani appeared at the end of the spot and concluded, “We’re going to build a city where no one has to struggle to survive.”
WCBS placed a disclaimer before the ad to ensure it was not considered a brand endorsement: “The following message is not associated with either ‘Survivor’ or CBS.” It is understood that CBS and “Survivor” producers were not consulted about the use of the “Survivor” concept or appearances by former contestants.
“Federal law required New York station WCBS-TV to run this candidate’s ad, even though it has no connection to ‘Survivor’ or WCBS-TV,” a CBS spokesperson said in a statement.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and state representative, won the Democratic primary in a stunning upset, with his progressive economic platform energizing young voters. He and his rivals, former Gov. Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who are running as independents, are expected to spend millions of dollars on advertising in the run-up to the Nov. 4 mayoral race.
