In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is not eligible to run for president in 2028. But his influence in the party is already second-to-none.The remaking of the Democratic Party in Mamdani’s image gained steam with Democratic congressional primaries in New York City. Mamdani backed winning insurgent candidates in New York’s 7th, 10th, and 13th congressional districts, and each won. Reps. Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat were toppled by primary challengers Brad Lander and Darializa Avila Chevalier, respectively.
DSA’S NEW PLATFORM SEEKS TO ‘REPLACE’ PRESIDENCY AND SUPREME COURT, NIX ELECTORAL COLLEGEGoldman was a Democratic leader in impeaching President Donald Trump, but he was not anti-Israel enough for Mamdani, who backed his former primary opponent, Lander. Espaillat is the leader of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, but Avila Chevalier is a true believer in the radical Democratic Socialists of America agenda of eliminating police officers, immigration law, and prisons, making her a true disciple of Mamdani’s far-left agenda.Claire Valdez, the Mamdani-backed candidate who won the primary for the open 7th District seat, is also rabidly anti-Israel and pro-open borders. The vision Mamdani has for the party, and the country, is clear.Democratic voters and politicians are intent to remake the party in Mamdani’s image nationwide. Socialist Graham Platner, a political newbie, was chosen by Maine Democratic voters over Gov. Janet Mills to run against GOP Sen. Susan Collins. In Michigan’s Senate race, Mamdani’s political allies, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), and livestreamer Hasan Piker, have backed Abdul el Sayed, an Islamist who sympathizes with terrorists and obsesses over Israel.The 2028 political positioning will begin in earnest after the 2026 elections in November, but you can already see that Mamdani is going to hold sway over the decision. The evidence comes courtesy of Kamala Harris, the former vice president who lost the 2024 presidential election. Harris clearly still wants to run for president again, has a built-in argument ready to go (Joe Biden’s late dropout forced her to run a truncated campaign!), and a consistent polling lead among hypothetical candidates, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.But Harris made a concerted effort to bolster her position by reaching out to Mamdani for a phone call in late June, shortly after Mamdani’s New York City candidates swept to victory in their primaries. Harris has reportedly been texting with Mamdani for several months now, and she has already signaled that she would be happy to shift to Mamdani’s position of constantly accusing Israel of genocide for fighting back against Hamas terrorists.The myth of Mamdani
