Zohran Mamdani has lost none of his political magic | US news
A man or a movement? That was the question being asked when Zohran Mamdani gambled his political capital on Tuesday’s election in New York.
The voters’ response was unequivocal: they prefer Mamdani and his brand of democratic socialism to the Democratic party establishment and its moderate version of capitalism. America’s largest city has moved even further to the left.
The New York Knicks could have won in five games, but Mamdani did it in three. The mayor boldly supported three candidates in the Democratic primary for the U.S. House of Representatives, and all three prevailed over establishment-backed opponents. The two were democratic socialist friends.
Most dramatically, Adriano Espaillat, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, lost his reelection bid to Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist who has never held public office and once wrote on social media, “Fuck Kamala Harris.”
State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez defeated Brooklyn borough president Antonio Reynoso in the primary for the seat of retired congresswoman Nydia Velázquez. Valdez was supported by Mamdani, while Reynoso was endorsed by Velázquez.
A third candidate backed by Mamdani, former city comptroller Brad Lander, defeated congressman Dan Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who served as lead counsel in Trump’s first impeachment, in a landslide by running to his left. Lander criticized Goldman’s support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) and vowed to sponsor legislation that would impose restrictions on military aid to Israel.
The results showed that Mamdani had lost none of his political mojo. He took risks by intervening in congressional races, Aliens some Black and Latino Democrats and unions along the way, but it paid off handsomely.
The mayor-turned-kingmaker said it was a matter of electing “better Democrats” who would “put working people back at the center of politics.” All three winners are expected to win their safe blue districts, which will send three Mamdani allies to Congress next January.
The result was also a recognition of some broader trends in US politics: Socialism is no longer a dirty word, criticism of Israel is no longer taboo, and dissatisfaction with Democratic leaders in the era of Donald Trump has run deep. Voters are thirsty for energy, challenge and new ideas.
They ask: If Republicans can come up with a Project 2025 and pursue it relentlessly, why can’t Democrats come up with a Project 2029 that promises universal health care, supreme court reform, massive climate investments, a war on the oligarchs, and a clear-cut approach to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu?
Ten years after Bernie Sanders’ rebellious presidential campaign shook up the status quo, things are changing. A Gallup poll last year found that only 42% of Democrats viewed capitalism favorably, while 66% viewed socialism favorably.
On Tuesday night, a crowd chanted Mamdani, chanting “Free, free Palestine” and “DSA!” welcomed with slogans. – initials of Democratic Socialists of America. The results in New York came after democratic socialist mayoral candidates won the Democratic primary in Washington, D.C., and made a runoff in Los Angeles.
Voters are sending a message to Democrats: Stand for something instead of nothing, because writing strongly worded letters to Trump isn’t enough. In contrast to the energy of Democratic governors and mayors, they view Congress as lethargic and ineffective in the face of authoritarian onslaught.
Many people were outraged that Biden and Harris supported Israel’s war in Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of more than 73,000 Palestinians following a Hamas-led offensive in 2023. Some were disappointed that the Democratic National Committee’s election autopsy produced harsh conclusions and made no mention of Gaza.
A significant number of voters are also skeptical Chuck SchumerSenate minority leader and Hakeem JeffriesThe equivalent in the House of Representatives are both New Yorkers and staunch supporters of Israel. While Schumer refused to endorse Mamdani before the general mayoral election, Jeffries did so just 11 days before election day. Jeffries had endorsed Espaillat and Goldman on Tuesday, but voters delivered a rebuke reminiscent of the Tea Party that once shook Republicans.
Van Jones, a political commentator and former official in the Barack Obama administration, told CNN: “This is a battle between the establishment and the insurgency. And tonight the roof of the Democratic party structure is collapsing… This is no longer a movement; this is also a movement and a machine.”
There were some consolations for the establishment. Moderate victory Ben McAdams The votes in Utah and Cait Conley in the New York suburbs were a reminder that this will be a team effort and that the House majority will be decided in swing districts in November. Democrats hope their divide will be overcome by fierce anti-Trump sentiment.
But once the midterm elections are completed, Mamdani and his allies will be a powerful force in determining the Democratic presidential nominee in 2028. That could clear the sails of another New Yorker, progressive star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
It’s been exactly 12 months since Mamdani put himself on track to win the mayoralty by defeating Andrew Cuomo in his own Democratic primary. “A year ago was not the end of a political movement,” he told supporters Tuesday. “This was the beginning.”
