Mayor Zohran Mamdani's request for residents to change their thermostat settings during a severe heat wave has caused a national political debate about government and ideology.

市長 Zohran Mamdani 要求居民在極端熱浪期間調整恆溫器設定，引起了一場關於政府與意識形態的全國性政治爭論。

The controversy began when Mayor Zohran Mamdani used social media to advise New York City residents to keep their air conditioning at 78 degrees Fahrenheit and reduce unnecessary electricity use. This request was made during a historic heat wave to prevent the power grid from failing, as warned by Con Edison. Although the city opened 600 cooling centers and stopped tenant evictions, the request to change home temperatures faced strong opposition.

這場爭論始於市長 Zohran Mamdani 使用社交媒體建議紐約市居民將空調設定在華氏 78 度，並減少不必要的用電。此要求是在一次歷史性熱浪期間提出，以防止 Con Edison 警告過的電網崩潰。雖然市政府開設了 600 個避暑中心並停止驅逐租客，但要求更改家中溫度的建議仍面臨強烈反對。

There is a clear ideological divide among the different groups involved. Several Republican officials and conservative critics described the Mayor's advice as an attempt to impose socialist or communist ideas, arguing that there should be enough energy for everyone without such restrictions. On the other hand, the U.S. Department of Energy emphasized that 75 to 78 degrees is the most efficient range. Meanwhile, some people criticized the city for keeping the bright digital signs in Times Square turned on, but utility companies explained that the power grid is designed in a way that makes turning them off impractical.

不同群體之間存在明顯的意識形態分間。幾位共和黨官員和保守派批評者將市長的建議描述為試圖強加社會主義或共產主義思想，認為在沒有此類限制的情況下，每個人都應該有足夠的能源。另一方面，美國能源部強調 75 到 78 度是最有效率的範圍。同時，有人批評市政府維持時代廣場亮麗的數位招牌開啟，但電力公司解釋電網的設計使得關閉這些招牌並不切實際。

At the same time, Mayor Mamdani's political influence seems to be growing. In June 2026, the candidates he supported won several primary elections. Consequently, former Vice President Kamala Harris contacted the Mayor by phone, which analysts believe is a strategic move to gain support from progressive voters before the 2028 presidential election. Furthermore, the Mayor has clearly stated that he cannot run for president because he was born in Uganda, which is a constitutional barrier.

與此同時，市長 Mamdani 的政治影響力似乎正在增長。2026 年 6 月，他支持的候選人在幾場初選中獲勝。因此，前副總統 Kamala Harris 與市長進行了電話接觸，分析人士認為這是為了在 2028 年總統大選前爭取進步派選民支持的策略舉措。此外，市長已明確表示他不能競選總統，因為他在烏干達出生，這是憲法上的障礙。

The city administration continues to handle the extreme weather while dealing with political criticism and changing alliances within the Democratic Party.

市政府在處理極端天氣的同時，繼續面對政治批評以及民主黨內部不斷變更的聯盟關係。