GOP uses NYC’s new socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani to attack Democrats

Republicans wasted no time in using New York City’s democratic socialist Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani as a political cudgel to crush Democrats.

The 34-year-old state lawmaker from New York City took instant GOP aim as he cruised to a nearly 9-point victory in Tuesday’s election in the nation’s most populous city.

“Democrats have officially handed over New York City to a self-proclaimed communist, and hard-working families will pay the price,” Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement. “His election is proof that the Democratic Party has abandoned common sense and committed themselves to extremism.”

Since Mamdani’s Democratic mayoral primary victory in June, Republicans have repeatedly aimed to make him the new face of the Democratic Party while trying to characterize Democrats as far-left socialists.

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While Mamdani’s 9-point general election victory was a shot in the arm for the rise of the socialist movement, it also appears to be the political gift that keeps on giving to Republicans.

House Republicans, aiming to preserve their fragile majority in the chamber in next year’s midterm elections, quickly linked Mamdani to Democrats, who will likely face tough re-election campaigns.

National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Mike Marinella charged Tuesday night that “the Democratic Party has capitulated to radical socialist Zohran Mamdani and the far-left crowd who are now running the show.”

SOCIALIST SHOCKWAVE: ZOHRAN MAMDANI SURPRISES NYC AS VOTERS PUT THEIR POWER TO THE DEMOCRATS’ FAR LEFT WING

As Fox News Digital first reported Wednesday morning, the NRCC took immediate action digital ads He associates Mamdani with House Democrats facing tough re-elections in next year’s midterm elections, where the GOP aims to preserve its fragile majority in the chamber.

“The radical left earthquake has hit America. The epicenter is New York,” the narrator emphasized.

The narrator explains that “new socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani built his movement on defunding the police and abolishing ICE. Now the socialists are celebrating. They call it progress. We call it chaos. Bureaucrats instead of doctors. Social workers instead of cops.”

“This is the future House Democrats want, and your city could be next. Stop socialism. Stop the Democrats,” the narrator concluded, under pictures of Mamdani and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader of New York.

Socialist Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race, defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Jeffries, the top Democrat in the House, endorsed Mamdani last week, nearly four months after Mamdani sent political shockwaves across the country with her convincing primary victory.

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In his victory speech, Mamdani said, “I am a Muslim. I am a democratic socialist and most importantly, I refuse to apologize for any of this.”

Democrats insist the effort to tie Mamdani ignores Republicans’ inability to deal with the affordability issue.

Viet Shelton, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said: “Everything is too expensive and working families are struggling because of House Republicans. Republican operatives in D.C. know they can’t win on these issues, so we’re seeing them melt down in real time, resorting to ineffective bogeyman attacks. It’s a shame.”

Mamdani made history as New York City’s first Muslim and first millennial mayor by defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who defeated independent and two-time Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, in Tuesday’s election.

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa (center) speaks during the mayoral debate with independent candidate former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (left) and Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in New York. (Angelina Katsanis/AP)

He has been heavily criticized by Republicans and some Democrats for his far-left proposals to eliminate fares on New York City’s massive bus system, make CUNY “tuition-free,” freeze rents on municipal housing, offer “free child care” for children up to age 5, and establish state-run grocery stores.

Mamdani also faced political criticism during the campaign for his verbal attacks on Israel, his past critical comments about the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and his proposal to shift certain responsibilities away from the NYPD and focus on social services and community-based programs.

Longtime Republican strategist Colin Reed told Fox News Digital that Democrats “will now have a rising and emboldened Mayor-elect Mamdani dominating the national spotlight.”

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Democratic gubernatorial candidate in New Jersey, celebrates her victory at an election night event on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in East Brunswick, New Jersey. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Democrats are countering the GOP’s claim that Mamdani is the new face of their party, pointing to sweeping gubernatorial victories Tuesday night by moderate Rep. Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger in Virginia.

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Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin reiterated that Democrats are a “big tent party” and that “from New Jersey, Virginia and New York to Georgia and beyond, Democrats are running campaigns relentlessly focused on costs and affordability.”

And veteran Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo emphasized that the 2025 ballot box results “prove that Democrats’ path to majorities in both chambers and the White House goes directly through the idea of ​​building a tent big enough to include moderates and progressives.”