Following Zohran Mamdani’s presumptive victory in New York City’s Democrat mayoral primary on Tuesday, many in the media and political establishment have expressed varying degrees of shock that such a radical candidate could become a major party nominee in the country’s largest city. But his triumph should hardly be surprising; it is only a reflection of how far left the Democrat Party has tilted in recent years – and how much further left it seems poised to go until voters put a stop to it.
Mamdani’s win over runner-up Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of the Empire State, can perhaps be viewed as the last gasp of any sensibility among Big Apple Democrats. Cuomo is hardly a moderate and carried significant baggage into the contest after he was forced to resign from the governorship in 2021 following accusations of sexual harassment. But he is downright conservative compared to Mamdani, who has proposed such policies as freezing rent for one million residents, creating city-run grocery stores, and using taxpayer funds to pay for gender transition surgeries.
Yet with 93 percent of the vote in, Mamdani led with 43.5 percent of all first-place votes, compared to 36.4 percent for Cuomo. Although Mamdani technically won’t be the winner until the second round of votes are tabulated (New York City uses ranked choice voting for primaries, allowing voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference), Cuomo has conceded the race.
“Tonight, we made history,” a triumphant Mamdani said following a congratulatory call from Cuomo. “In the words of Nelson Mandela, ‘It always seems impossible until it is done.’ My friends, we have done it. I will be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York City.”
Cuomo was seen as the clear frontrunner throughout the campaign. The former governor enjoyed name recognition, support from the Democrat establishment, and substantial campaign funds. But in the final days of the race, the polling suddenly flipped and showed Mamdani in the lead.
While most of the attention has been on how Mamdani pulled off the upset, the bigger story is what his victory means for the Democrat Party – particularly if he wins the general election on November 4, which he is now favored to do.
Mamdani is an official member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and has always been outspoken about his socialist beliefs, especially during his tenure as a State Assemblyman in the New York State Legislature.
Back in 2022, for instance, Mamdani was pushing for a plan to make all city buses “free.” Despite the fact that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) was already running an unsustainable multi-million dollar deficit, Mamdani called the plan “urgent and necessary.”
But as is always the case with socialist policies, those buses weren’t exactly “free.” According to his four-year plan to eliminate bus fares, it would have cost taxpayers an extra $438 million.
This past February, Mamdani further demonstrated his socialist and anti-Semitic beliefs by proposing legislation that would allow the New York government to forcefully shut down any non-profit that supports Israel. During his rapping career, he also reportedly “rapped about his ‘love’ for Hamas terror-funding group ‘Holy Land Five.’”
But Mamdani’s toxic blend of socialist policies and anti-Semitic vitriol hasn’t scared away his fellow Democrats. His surge in the final few weeks of the race came following crucial endorsements from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish, and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is also an official member of the DSA. These endorsements, compounded by endorsements from other DSA members, only solidified his support among progressives and his socialist base.
In an interview with Politico following Mamdani’s victory, Sanders stated that this victory shows that the Democrat Party’s establishment leadership has failed to recognize the growing power that progressives have within the party. “I think that the Democratic leadership is way out of touch,” Sanders said. When asked about how the results will affect Democrats in 2028 and beyond, Sanders made it clear that the Democrats’ future is a progressive one. “I’m not going to get into individuals,” Sanders said, “But it tells me that the future of the Democratic Party is around a progressive agenda.”
“Having the largest city in the country have a socialist mayor would send an extremely powerful and hopefully empowering message to other socialists and politicians and groups fighting for working class interests across the country,” added Grace Mausser, co-chair of the New York City chapter of DSA.
But while an ascendant progressive-socialist establishment may sound like good news for the left-wing activist class, it will likely mean yet more economic hardship and public safety concerns for New York residents. The city has already seen businesses flee amid the skyrocketing cost of living, rampant crime, and oppressive regulatory regime. A Mayor Mamdani would only supercharge those trends.
Mamdani’s win isn’t an outlier or a fluke; it’s simply a “mask off” moment revealing what Democrats believe and stand for. The difference now is simply volume – Mamdani says out loud what Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders, and the progressive movement have been telegraphing for years. And slowly but surely, they’re becoming the dominant force in the party.
Hunter Oswald is a Research Fellow for The American Spectator. He is an alum of Grove City College, where he graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in Political Science. You can follow him on X @HunterOswald8.
The people who are thinking their ‘Islamo-fascist Marxist’ leader is the solution to all their problems are living in a fantasy world. They believe he will give them all the free stuff and they will finally be out from under the boot of their fantasy world oppressors. In truth he is just another tin pot dictator. Their fantasy of no rules, no police, free public transportation among his other empty promises will come crashing down. The realities of real life will return . The fantasy world they believe is coming will fail as it always has in the past as nothing is free, especially freedom.
Obviously, The Big Apple is rotten to the core and filled with worms.
This Clown makes the governor of CA look like an alter boy!
The Democratic Party is full of enemies to our country! They must all be stopped at all cost!
These Communists only get their footing because our social media, msm, and education system has been indoctrinating and brain washing our youth for several decades. Remember what Pres. Reagan said,” We are only a generation away from losing The America we all love and live in”
UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
Candidate does not support our Constitution. By definition.
Obviously the fools in NYC have forgotten that it was radical Muslims that flew the planes into the World Trade Center on 9/11 killing 3000 people…. Disgusting…
He won because he offered all that “free” stuff. Free stuff promises that he will never be able to fulfill. Meanwhile, companies and affluent citizens will be fleeing NYC in droves. There will not be enough companies or people to tax them to death to pay for all that “free” stuff. Socialism has never worked and never will…..
When will they demand a recount? I think the 100,000 illegals elected him.
Can the Anti Communist Act of 1954 be used??????
And the swing from socialism into its big brother communism isn’t all that hard once you’ve managed to cultivate the minds of the liberals in NYC with enough window dressing. And the average voter in that city doesn’t appear to be all that bright if most of their past mayoral elections are any indication.
I’m disgusted by the fact that these socialist claim Donald Trump is a danger to democracy. It is these socialist that are a danger to democracy. They want to transform the USA into a socialistic/communist government and in their warped minds they believe they are saving democracy. In fact, they want to enslave all of us and have us bow down to the government while they live in the luxury that they supposedly despise while we stand in long lines in the government run grocery stores that has a meager amount in stock. Finally, I don’t know of any communist country today that is in the process of “Saving Democracy.”
And the Jewish people who have long been Democrats need to wake up and realize that party is no longer for you. Once all the people and company with money move out, who will have the backs of the less fortunate people? Won’t be the Democrat elites who are supporting this guy.
Even this guy’s mother calls him a terrorist. May God help New York if this guy wins. No police, free groceries, free transportation, and the desire to shut down businesses who support Israel? HOW is he even in the race?
I am surprised that people in America don’t know what DSA is or what they believe in. For one, they don’t believe in the Constitution and most of the Bill of Rights. Wake up, people!
Today’s Democrat party would not nominate a Harry Truman or a John Kennedy or even an LBJ. They have totally lost their senses. This communist nominee has created a false life story like “Lunchpail Joe” or AOC or Jazzy! He is RICH guy who doesn’t want others to get ahead! That’s like Grandpa Bernie who is a “socialist” who owns 3 homes worth over a million dollars each but still PRETENDS to support the “little guy.”
The movie Escape from New York is coming to true life. Only this time, the whole city will be a prison, much more than it already is, if this guy gets elected. This is not “progressiveness” It is communist at it’s finest!!! Wake up New York and the rest of the country. If we keep letting these people get into power, we will become the next third world country.
The true colors of the dem party has been exposed since this election win. Many of us have known this and have called them out on it only to fall on deaf ears by many many democrats. This is so prevalent all over America but now they have another big city in their grasp, the right media jumps on it the MSM lauds this win. The charges against President Trump, the pushing of trans, the open borders and now the anti deportation policy plus urging attacks on ice agents, defunding the police all this is a plan to gain total power over the people. They are working night and day to eliminate president Trump, his cabinet. The successful strike in Iran they try to make into a dud. Our military was successful. No one died, but they put their lives at risk. Where is their praise. But the propaganda media lied about the success of the strike, called it a failure, till more and more proof was offered they had to retract their statement. Not in a fanfare manner somewhere on page 15. WAKE UP AMERICA More and more the communist within the democrat party are showing their true colors. They all got rich but they are spewing Karl Marx rhetoric. Soros will not support a poor communist. Bernie is a multi millionaire so is AOC, frim a lowly bartender to a 10 million dollar millionaire. The same for Omar. Don’t forget Pelosi. She is worth 400 million. All through insider trading. And this Mamdani is rich too. Now he wants power. DOGE found so much waste fraud and abuse, the Autopen worked harder in the Biden White House than even the janitor. Billions of dollars went everywhere for trans causes or did they? 2 billion dollars was donated to Harris campaign and still she overspent by 20 million. Excuse me but this doesn’t sound like a party that is caring for the average American trying to make a living. President Trump is working for tge American people every day. Lowering taxes, getting businesses to flourish again in America,thereby creating jobs. He works hard every day to keep our streets cities and states safe from foreign gang members and criminals. Will we ever become a country again where we can gather at our local park for a picnic without a shooting breaking out? Or will we tell our grandchildren about how it used to be in America. WAKE UP AMERICA.
The coming tribulation will take care of the Democrats. It’s one place they can’t cheat!
Boy, back in the 60’s if anyone was a communist, they weren’t allowed to hold office. What has happened. Doesn’t the constitution prohibit this to happen? This should be stopped immediately.
If NY elects this Mayor Hell to pay
Massive exodus from city alone
IF wins in Nov
Ignorance is the mind set in New York!
I’ve got a mental picture of city run grocery stores: Think about your last experience at the DMV. And how do you freeze rent without freezing maintenance costs? He’s going to pay for things by taxing the rich and corporations. The rich have been fleeing NYC for a while now, because they are rich and places like Florida will take less of their money than NYC and NYS. DA Alvin Bragg, who doesn’t believe in incarceration, also won his primary. Good luck, NYC!
The guy looks like what he is an anti American Charleton. No wonder Hollywood and the Elites love him.
I am from upstate NY and it scares the crap out of me to see this guy Mamdani as a possible mayor of NY city. What the hell is going on in the city? The city out votes us here in up state. This is why NY is so screwed up. Hochul, Schumer, Jeffries, Nadler, AOC. Gosh, we have some real winners. When will this insanity end? This is no longer my state. HELP please.
Having Cuomo run was a big mistake, so maybe that was their plan all along. People better get out and vote come NOV if they’re not happy. IMO
The socialist zealots are the only democrats with a plan to change America drastically. Proposing something – not just criticizing and hating at full volume is a sign of life however stupid it is. Socialism is filling a void for those who don’t get it, who don’t understand what America is.
This victory is in the same category as trans on women team victory, he was put in, New Yorkers better hold onto their hats. It tells all about the character of the man and those who put him in. It tells all about the future to be expected
Socialism is an ideology that destroys rather than creates. It believes that you can rob the earnings of those who create and build, and give it to others who do not create or build,but want a free ride. like this incipid low life, Bernie Sanders, who is an example of a first-rate incompetent, insignificant, and obnoxious person,That would naturally endorse Mamdani.
Name one country that progressives started from scratch.
I remember when a man with a funny name…..hussein obama was fired up like this and we thought….NEVER. Look what happened. America had better wake up! Another funny name is fired up and this is a very dangerous possibility for NY and for the U.S. Infiltrate the governmental system is the goal and it’s working with little impedance.
So, the voters in New York are willing to ruin their city, the FINANCIAL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD for some free stuff? Wow, just when I thought the voters knew enough to vote for Trump. Do they not understand that “rich” people and corporations will flee the state…I guess it has to get way worse before it gets better. Ever watched the movie “Escape from New York?” Snake Pliskin was right.
…and it exposes the voters of New York who chose him over the other sorry excuse for a candidate. Are they fatalists, holding no hope at all for a prosperous future, are they tied together in an ill-presented hope for utopia, or do they all not really care who’s in charge?
Another political term of disarray and discontent on the way.
Here’s a Prime Example of the Leftist Agenda which seeks to destroy America and its Christian Moral Beliefs. They want a total remake of the Present System, which is not sustainable nor a viable resource of life, hope, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, with personal freedom granted to everyone.
NYC should not be surprised by the BS that comes to them from their voting habits. They have firmly subscribed to the GIGO principle. When you vote garbage into office, you will get nothing but garbage out of that office. Get ready for a crap-storm of garbage NYC.
he will ruin NY I would e afraid to go there with the things he proposes and anti Jewish the Jews better leave in a hurry
Portland Protest: Some media states rioters got a nasty surprise when 250 rioters stormed the Federal ICE building in Portland this week. Media says only 5 people were arrested out of 250 and to me that is not a very strong response to people that were pointing lasers at and shooting fireworks at ICE officers. I thought that Trump was going to have strong response and stop these protests. Why can’t the ICE and Portland police use water cannons & roll them down the street and bust them up a little?
Like any dimocrap politician, Mandamani promises “free Stuff”.
Nothing is free, so he also promises to raise New York’s taxes to pay for the “free stuff”!
Mandamani is also Muslim, the same group that flew the planes into New York’s World Trade Center and believe all who are not Muslim should die! Anyone voting for him should order their casket first!
This man is a Communist. He is only the Democratic nominee and he represents much of the worst traits of what the new political party within the Democratic Part wants. Most of them are young and have no idea what Communism is all about. I prefer to think that Silwa, the perfectly sane Republican will be the first of many of the GOP to govern NYC. Anyone who has been paying attention knows that city has become a disaster and many people who can have moved out.
It’s not they like Islamo fascist Communists – they just like the guy who killed grandma even LESS!
Since when is it legal for an avowed communist to run as a democrat? I doubt that he is a legal U.S. citizen!
Defund the Police, Close Jails, Legalize Prostitution and Drugs, that’s not going to go over well. Sliwa in November ! Save NYC.
When a Communist wins the nomination for public office we’re going in the Wrong direction
Mandami in 2025 reminds me of Obama in 2008. Exotic third world persona candidate.
‘Democrats Discover Innovative Strategy Of Promising Free Stuff To Stupid People’
“Elect ME, and ALL your Stuff will be FREE !!!!’
A Muslim is a Muslim-no doubts. A naturalized citizen for 7 years. The illegal and legal immigration has stepped too far. Perfect examples-this Muslim, Omar, Jayapal, Hirono, Garcia, Duckworth, Lieu, Thanedar, Vindman, Carbajal, Espaillat, Ruiz and more!!
People never think of the unintended consequences. Scary!
Rats showing their true colors. They’ve always been this bad, but they are no longer afraid to broadcast it.
This individual is one example of what the Radical Left has in mind for the their future America. Alarming! Also, this person has made no contribution to the betterment of the USA. He is what you find when researching the past of Democrats, on the whole, when coming to personal atributes in a successful life lived. Their values, faith and Agenda, always are: anti-American, anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, suffers TDS, defund the Police, Sanctuary Cities, free giveaways to people who are Parasitical-in-Nature, Open Borders, ignorant to viable sustainable solutions on Issues facing America, ect. Everything imaginable that brings about hurt, harm and danger to those who disagree with their Agenda, in opposition to them in the Public Square, are marked for annihilation. These Radicals want total and utter Atheistic Communistic Control, period! May people wake up , get informed and active to stop the insanity of the Left at the next Election Cycle!
take a look at england, ireland and other countries that elected Muslim people.They are all crashing and burning. Good Luck to NY
Hunter Oswald? Are you related to Harvey Oswald, in connection to a National 1963 incident?