Zohran Mamdani’s emergence as a significant figure in New York City politics could have a ripple effect on national politics
By Nazarul Islam | USA
News that evening was explosive. There was an excitement in the air, and the newscaster’s voice. It heralded Zohran Mamdani, who that evening, had emerged as a phenomenal, rising star in America’s politics. He had continued to serve as a proud member of New York State Assembly. Zohran was described as the first Ugandan and only the third Muslim, ever to be a member of the NYC administrative body. There exist communities in America, which have been left out of the US mainstream politics and priorities.
Zohran’s community being one such underprivileged locales, he obviously looked for ways to amplify the voices of those who remained unheard, which would make an impact in bringing about a change, through priorities launched across both the district and the state— for as long as he remained in office. He had crafted his election strategy intelligently. It was structured around Democratic socialist values that were designed to lower the cost of living for the working class New Yorkers. Zohran raised his hands and his voice. “Eight months after launching this campaign, with a vision of a city every New Yorker could afford, we have won,” Again, Mamdani added further “We have won because New Yorkers have stood up for a city they can afford. A city where they can do more than just struggle.”
Among his many proposals he has openly confided “we have one that aims directly towards ‘a rent freeze’ for the city’s rent that keeps on mounting higher and higher all over the stabilized units; along with all proposition for free bus service, and furthermore, building as many city-owned grocery stores “He expressed his strong desire to build 200,000 affordable housing units for the struggling people. That evening, Zohran had shared head on with CBS, his priorities with the New York’s political reporter Marcia Kramer, hoping that all that he dreamed could be achieved through intelligent plans. He had emphasized the need for an out of the box strategy, direction and looked forward to the support of the people to fund all these—partly by raising taxes on corporations and top earners by a flat 2%. He was humble and candid about the transparency of his plans and went on to say publicly—“Where it is appropriate, yes, taxes on the wealthiest, taxes on the most profitable corporations, absolutely”.
Again he was quoted by one of the several press reporters who hounded him that night. “Like so many of the city dwellers I think this is the only thing that is able to withstand the campaign out from others. I am very honest, and open, and clear about what will be required to pay for this program” Mamdani has been on record that night, to have stated “I have seen us find money for all sorts of things, I have seen us find a billion dollars to pay for a Buffalo Bills stadium. But now when it comes to making sure that working class New Yorkers can catch a break, we’re being told it’s unrealistic. It’s just a matter of political will.”
Zohran Mamdani received his endorsements from fellow progressive politicians, and from Senator Bernie Sanders, Republican Alexa Alexandria. Senator Sanders, who occasionally was aided by Ronn. Endorsements that night also came from state Sen. John Liu, who represents part of Queens. He told Kramer that he believed in a grassroots effort to get younger voters energized, which appears to have paid off. Another strategy he used in the primary election was teaming up with fellow candidates.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and former state Assemblyman Michael Blake, in ranked choice voting endorsements. They had come together to discourage voters from ranking Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo, who had launched the election campaign, based on his experience had repeatedly criticized Mamdani for his lack of leadership. Mamdani’s position on Israel also became a flashpoint in the race. Kramer had reported, he calls the war in Gaza a genocide and, while he says he supports Israel’s right to exist, he will not say it should exist as a Jewish state.
That evening Mamdani had become quite emotional during the campaign as he talked about what it is like to be Muslim running for mayor and facing pushback for his support for Palestinian nationalism. “I get messages that say things like, ‘the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim.’ I get threats on my life and on the people that I love and I try not to talk about it,” he said.
Again, Mamdani was accused of making comments on a podcast that some Jewish groups said equated the Holocaust with intifada, which the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as an “uprising, rebellion” and is derived from Arabic, where it literally means “the act of shaking off.” Mamdani had said the word “intifada” was used “by the Holocaust museum when translating the Warsaw ghetto uprising.” Again, he had commented “What I hear in so many is a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights,”
The U.S. Holocaust Museum called those comments “outrageous.” “Exploiting the museum and the Warsaw ghetto uprising to sanitize ‘globalize the intifada’ is outrageous,” the museum said in a statement. “Antisemitism is such a real issue in the city, and it has been hard to see it weaponized by candidates,” Mamdani said earlier this month. If he wins the general election in November, he would be the first Muslim to be mayor of the city.
There are millions of New Yorker who have strong feelings about what happens overseas. I am one of them,” he had stated kin his victory speech. “And while I will not abandon my beliefs or my commitments grounded in a demand for equality, for humanity, for all those who walk this earth, you have my word to reach further, to understand the perspectives of those with whom I disagree and to wrestle deeply with those disagreements.
“Who really is Zohran Mamdani? They say he is a three-term state assemblyman who represents parts of Queens, one of the most diverse areas in the nation. He is an immigrant from Uganda who was first raised in Cape Town, South Africa, and later in New York City, attending the prestigious Bronx High School of Science before enrolling at Bowdoin College. He is the son of Mahmood Mamdani, a professor at Columbia University, and Mira Nair, an Indian filmmaker whose credits include “Mississippi Masala” and “Monsoon Wedding.” If elected mayor, he would become one of the youngest people to ever hold the post.
Mamdani would also become the first Muslim mayor in the history of the city — home to more than half a million Muslims and one of the largest Jewish populations outside of Israel. What are Mandani’s policy proposals? Mamdani wants to freeze the rent for nearly 1 million New Yorkers living in rent-stabilized apartments and provide free city bus service, universal childcare and city-subsidized grocery stores.
Mamdani has said he will pay for it all by raising taxes on the city’s wealthiest, even though he would have little power to do so from City Hall. Taxes can be raised or lowered only by state lawmakers with approval from the governor. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has already thrown cold water on the proposal, saying the move is likely to drive more New Yorkers out of the concrete jungle and toward Florida and other lower-tax destinations.
Mamdani’s campaign had raised $7 million from thousands of individual donors and mobilized an army of volunteers. He secured the endorsement of Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and the United Auto Workers union. This race is not just symbolic about the future of New York City, this race is symbolic about the future of our country,” Ocasio-Cortez remarked during a campaign rally packed with more than 2,000 supporters last week.
“For so long we have had political leadership, including in the Democratic Party that has just wanted to play it safe.” Why are establishment Democrats worried? Democratic establishment concern was laid out in a pre-election call held by Third Way, a national think tank that favors a centrist political agenda. The group released a memo last week, warning that a Mamdani’s win would be “a devastating blow in the fight to defeat Trumpism.” “We’re really worried about all Democrats going forward if Mamdani were to win,”
Matt Bennett, executive vice president for public affairs, told reporters during the call. “Even if he doesn’t win the election, if he just wins the Democratic nomination that can hurt Democrats.” Cuomo has made his long career in government and experience with President Donald Trump the cornerstones of his comeback run. He dismisses Mamdani as an inexperienced leader with unrealistic ideas and suggests Trump would run through Mamdani like “a hot knife through butter.”
Democratic mayoral candidates Andrew Cuomo, left, and Mamdani, second from right, present arguments as Whitney Tilson, second from left, and Michael Blake, right, look on during a Democratic mayoral primary debate in New York on June 4 this year. “He’s never done any of the essentials. And now you have Donald Trump on top of all of that,” Cuomo said during a recent debate. Mamdani responded by zeroing in on Cuomo’s sexual harassment scandals, his reputation as a bully and his billionaire donors.
Cuomo has repeatedly denied the misconduct allegations. “I’ve never had to resign in disgrace,” Mamdani said during one debate. “I have never hounded the 13 women who credibly accused me of sexual harassment. I have never sued for their gynecological records. And I have never done these things because I am not you, Mr. Cuomo.
How has Mamdani addressed the issue of antisemitism? Cuomo and other rivals of Mamdani called out how he’s spoken about antisemitism and the Israel-Hamas war. Mamdani has accused the Israeli government of carrying out a “genocide.” And he defended the use of the slogan “globalize the intifada” as a rallying cry for Palestinian human rights during an interview with The Bulwark.
Mamdani said he believed the phrase was about “a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights,” explaining that the US Holocaust Museum used a similar Arabic word meaning “uprising” to describe the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising against the Nazis. “I have shared my opinions with New Yorkers over the course of this race, opinions that always come back to a belief in universal human rights, that means taking on antisemitism and Islamophobia,” Mamdani told CNN.
Mamdani’s campaign has proposed making an increase of 800% for the city’s anti-hate crime program. Mamdani prepares ahead of a debate at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York on June 12. Still, the criticism to those comments came fast and furious.
Mamdani was condemned by the Holocaust Museum and some fellow Democrats for using a phrase they believe encourages violence against Jews. City Comptroller Brad Lander who ran third in Tuesday night’s primary and appeared on stage at Mamdani’s party, has said he preferred Mamdani avoid the term altogether. Mamdani’s reaction was equally visceral. He became emotional and cried while speaking with reporters about the backlash, detailing the multiple threats and the near-constant harassing calls his office now receives on a daily basis.
It pains me to be painted as if I am somehow to the very Jewish New Yorkers that I know and love that are such a key part of this city,” Mamdani said. “When I speak, when I speak with emotion I am characterized by rivals as being a monster. I get messages that say, ‘The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim.’ I get threats on my life, on the people that I love.”
He has also accused a pro-Cuomo PAC of designing a campaign mailer that featured his photo appearing to be altered to make his beard look darker and thicker next to text saying Mamdani “rejects Jewish rights.” The Cuomo campaign said it never sent out the mailer and it was made up by an independent vendor. What has he said about US strikes on Iran? Mamdani called the strikes ordered by Trump “a new, dark chapter in his endless series of betrayals.”
“While Donald Trump bears immediate responsibility for this illegal escalation, these actions are the result of a political establishment that would rather spend trillions of dollars on weapons than lift millions out of poverty, launch endless wars while silencing calls for peace, and fearmonger about outsiders while billionaires hollow out our democracy from within,” he said in a statement.
Mamdani’s recent victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary is seen as a significant win for progressives and a potential indicator of a shift in national politics. Here are some key impacts of his rise: Momentum for the Left: His win has invigorated the progressive movement and inspired other like-minded individuals to consider running for office, particularly those aligned with ‘Run for Something’ an organization focused on recruiting young, progressive candidates. The organization saw a surge in sign-ups after his victory, indicating a potential increase in progressive candidates in future elections.
Will Mamdani’s potential mayoralty be a litmus test of the viability of democratic socialist policies and governance at a high level of municipal office. His platform, which includes proposals like freezing rents, providing free buses, and establishing city-owned grocery stores, reflects a departure from more moderate Democratic positions.
Does Mamdani have a Potential Blueprint for Campaigns? Mamdani’s campaign, which relied heavily on grassroots organizing and skilled use of social media, particularly short-form video, is being examined as a potential model for future campaigns. His ability to connect with a broad electorate, including younger voters and those concerned about affordability, could offer lessons for other candidates. What are the Challenges for the Democratic Party? Mamdani’s rise highlights the ongoing ideological divisions within the Democratic Party and the challenges it faces in appealing to a broad range of voters. His positions on issues like Israel, for example, are seen as potentially alienating to some moderate Democrats
What were the important considerations? Limited Legislative Record: Despite his four years in the New York State Assembly, Mamdani’s legislative record has been described as thin, with few bills becoming law. This could raise concerns about his ability to implement his ambitious policy proposals as mayor.
Are there Governing Challenges for Mamdani? : New York City is a complex and challenging environment to govern, and Mamdani would face significant hurdles in translating his campaign promises into tangible results. He would also likely face pushback from powerful figures and institutions, including Wall Street and the real estate industry, who oppose some of his proposed policies.
How does Zohran compare his city to Chicago? Some critics have drawn parallels between Mamdani and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a socialist-backed mayor whose administration has been criticized for fiscal missteps and political inexperience. However, others argue that Mamdani’s approach is more similar to Bernie Sanders’ time as mayor of Burlington, Vermont.
Overall, Zohran Mamdani’s emergence as a significant figure in New York City politics could have a ripple effect on national politics, particularly for the progressive movement and the broader Democratic Party. A self-described democratic socialist who ran on taxing the rich and making the city affordable, Mamdani defeated disgraced former governor Andrew Cuomo who is well-funded, familiar and powerful figure backed by billionaire donors and establishment Democrats alike.
Mamdani took such a commanding lead over Cuomo on Tuesday that the former governor, who was seeking a comeback after resigning in disgrace over a sexual harassment scandal, conceded the race early. The ultimate outcome may not be known for days due to the city’s ranked choice voting system.
He will now face off against incumbent mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent in November’s election—and Cuomo could still reenter the race. Still, Mamdani, a progressive upstart with a history of pro-Palestinian activism, is on course to become the first Muslim mayor of the nation’s largest city. His victory is sure to reverberate through the Democratic Party at a time when it remains ideologically divided about its future after losing the White House in November.
Mamdani’s triumph is “a confirmation that progressive politics, when pursued with discipline, vision and vigor, can resonate broadly – even in a city known for its entrenched power structures,” said Bhaskar Sunkara, president of progressive politics magazine
The Nation, in an opinion piece for The Guardian. National Democrats will also likely look to Mamdani’s winning strategy as they try to win back younger voters who abandoned them in November’s election. Pollster Nate Sullivan wrote in a post on his Silver Bulletin website that it shows how the “aging Democratic establishment should probably be put out to pasture.”
He wrote: “If you want to inspire younger voters, nominate younger candidates. Mamdani, at age 33, is literally half Cuomo’s age: the former governor is 67.” Mamdani “thoroughly earned the win, and Cuomo and the Democratic establishment thoroughly earned the loss,” Silver added. “And even if they finally take the hint, generational turnover in the Democratic Party is coming whether they like it or not.”
David Hogg, who has clashed with Democrstic National Committee leadership his plan to raise money for young progressive candidates challenging Democratic incumbents, said on that Mamdani’s campaign “constantly grows in size in person and virtually bc people believe the message so much this share it for free and get others to join in.
People want something to believe in & for many Zohran was the first Democrat who gave them that, post 2024.” His victory shows “what can happen when a candidate runs on a platform filled with policy proposals to improve the lives of voters in tangible ways,” Jonathan Nagler, a professor in the Department of Politics at New York University, told Newsweek.
His platform focused on freezing rent, building affordable housing, free buses, free child care, a higher minimum wage and more, mostly paid for by new taxes on the rich. Pablo O’Hana, a political advisor and campaign strategist who worked on former vice president Kamala Harris failed presidential campaign last year, said Mamdani’s win “is proof” that progressive ideas can win elections.
Mamdani “speaks the language of renters, immigrants and low-income workers – not in abstract policy terms, but with urgency and clarity,” O’Hana wrote in an opinion piece for The Independent newspaper. “Voters can understand how something as basic as free buses or a rent-freeze will provide a direct benefit to them,” he said, and added that Mamdani’s win “could motivate the Democratic Party to campaign more on core economic issues. But they will have to decide whether to campaign on issues that are basic economic transfers or subsidies (such as free buses) or issues that involve heavier-handed regulation (such as rent-freezes).”
Read: Our ego-driven lives
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The Bengal-born writer Nazarul Islam is a senior educationist based in USA. He writes for Sindh Courier and the newspapers of Bangladesh, India and America. He is author of a recently published book ‘Chasing Hope’ – a compilation of his articles.
