Democrats, nationally and in New York City, were almost uniformly impressed with how Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani delivered a stunning primary upset against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, zeroing in on the cost of living, creating moments that went viral, winning over young people increasingly disenchanted with the Democratic Party, and even doing surprisingly well among working-class Latino and Asian voters who shifted to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), not a man known for praising left-wing politicians, summed up the consensus in a social media post: “Assemblyman Mamdani ran a strong campaign that relentlessly focused on the economy and bringing down the high cost of living in New York City.”
Democrats had just one (often unspoken) question: Could you do it without, you know, all the socialism?
Mamdani is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and more generally on the far left end of the Democratic Party’s wide ideological spectrum. He supports a yearlong freeze on rent for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments, a $30 minimum wage, the elimination of bus fares, and the creation of city-owned grocery stores. In the past, he supported defunding the police, and his willingness to call Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide has been a constant source of controversy during his campaign. All of these positions might scare a less progressive electorate, to say nothing of the party’s donor class.
