Published by Luis Francisco Orozco 25 de junio, 2025

Zohran Mamdani´s victory in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for Mayor of New York city sent shockwaves through the party—not only because it happened in one of the nation’s key liberal strongholds, but also due to the rise of a far-left political figure. While the simplest thing would be to label such a political event as a historic defeat for former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, the truth is that the political figure within the Democratic Party who may be most affected and weakened by Mamdani’s victory is none other than Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

After all, the triumph of the Muslim-born socialist candidate represents the materialization of the extremist drift that a significant part of the Democratic grassroots has embraced in recent months, and which several important figures within the party seemed to have ignored. Even, a poll recently conducted by Reuters/Ipsos showed certain numbers more than revealing, including a 66% of young Democrats surveyed assuring that their highest priority was the materialization of a Universal Healthcare, this being the reason why a good part of them would be willing to vote for an extremist candidate.

Such a scenario became a reality with the victory of a candidate like Mamdani, who even went so far as to express his sympathies for Chavism when in 2013 he posted on his X account that he did not understand why some criticized that one of the observers for the Zimbabwean presidential elections was a member of the Venezuelan socialist regime, when the latter had demonstrated in its last presidential elections that its electoral system was reliable. “Venezuela’s electoral protocol is not so bad, why question their capacity as observers?” wrote Mamdani at the time.

In the new scenario that opens up after the triumph of said extremist, Schumer could see his position as leader of the Democratic minority in the Senate at serious risk, considering that the grassroots are clearly asking for more ideological and confrontational figures. In this context, far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who on several occasions has questioned Schumer’s leadership, could have her golden opportunity to unseat him if she decides to openly confront him.

From the point of view of how things played out Tuesday night in New York, the extremists have momentum on their side.

Suddenly, the music stopped.

The clock had just struck 10:21 p.m. on Tuesday night at the Carpenters Union Building in SoHo. This was supposed to be a victory party for former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who had long been the leading candidate in the Democratic race for New York City mayor. Three blondes, each with a Modelo beer in their hands, blinked at a giant screen while it flashed the chyron: “ZOHRAN MAMDANI HOLDS LEAD OVER ANDREW CUOMO.”

“Well, fuck,” one woman muttered, before taking a swig of beer.

“Maybe I’m at the wrong watch party,” one woman laughed, saying that she used to work for Cuomo but that everyone she knows was in Queens, drinking to Mamdani’s triumph.

She was stuck at something closer to a wake as Cuomo shuffled to the podium with a stiff grin, saddled by his daughters, who couldn’t conceal the truth. Their eyes were wet with tears at the shock that Cuomo, the scion of a political dynasty, was being trounced by a socialist half his age who had been polling at 1 percent in February.

Zohran Mamdani’s triumph in New York City’s Democratic primary represents more than just an electoral upset. It’s 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.

This was no ordinary primary. Andrew Cuomo, a former governor whose political fall from grace seemed irreparable only a few years ago, had positioned himself as the overwhelming favorite. Backed by millions from corporate interests, super PACs, and billionaire donors such as Michael Bloomberg and Bill Ackman, Cuomo relied heavily on institutional inertia and top-down endorsements. Yet Tuesday night, it became clear that this alone couldn’t carry him across the finish line.

Mamdani, a 33-year-old legislator from Queens, ran a relentlessly disciplined campaign built around cost-of-living issues, zeroing in on essentials such as housing, transport, childcare and groceries. Repeated attempts to define Mamdani as merely a “Muslim socialist” with radical ideas, to force divisive identity politics to the fore, or to make the election a referendum on Israel, failed.

But it wasn’t simply messaging discipline that made Mamdani successful. Mamdani has a political talent rooted in genuine charisma. His fluency with language, clarity of purpose, and authenticity allowed him to speak convincingly to voters from many different backgrounds. He wasn’t just another activist-politician; he proved himself to be a natural leader – someone capable of communicating moral truths without sounding moralistic.

Meanwhile, Cuomo’s attempt to reinvent himself in New York City politics was flawed from the outset. His candidacy was perceived by many voters as an arrogant power grab, a rehabilitation project rather than a serious commitment to addressing the city’s challenges. He neglected to engage seriously with New York’s relatively new ranked-choice voting system, stubbornly isolating himself rather than building coalitions, even among centrist figures.

The difference in campaign styles was stark and instructive. Mamdani’s campaign was fundamentally grassroots, driven by committed volunteers, including young activists from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). It was also modern and intelligent, recognizing that an ever-growing share of the electorate forms its opinions through social media and finding innovative ways to communicate policy proposals. Remarkably, almost one quarter of the early vote in this primary came from first-time voters in New York elections.

Yet the results make clear that his voting base wasn’t limited to young, college-educated voters most engaged by his campaign. Notably, Mamdani succeeded in neighborhoods like Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Sunset Park, and Brighton Beach — all areas that swung rightward in the 2024 presidential election.

This was a reward for his consistent efforts to reach out to young, working-class voters who felt alienated by the Democratic party; Mamdani’s first viral video of this campaign came in November, when he interviewed New Yorkers who had voted for Trump about their cost-of-living frustrations. In the face of a skeptical public, Mamdani was even able to communicate democratic socialism as a universal politics rather than a niche identity or a dangerous ideology.

Yet coalition-building factored in just as much as political resolve. Crucial to Mamdani’s broad success was the principled support of progressive figures like Comptroller Brad Lander. Lander advocated for himself as the person best suited to be mayor but accepted the nature of rank-choice voting and the imperative of defeating Cuomo by cross-endorsing Mamdani. Lander’s approach helped forge a coherent, united front — something increasingly rare in fractious progressive circles — and it proved decisive.

Voters, for their part, proved that they were ready for change. They refused to succumb to cynical fearmongering about a supposed tide of crime and antisemitism that would come from a Mamdani victory. Instead, they took a clear-eyed look at their lives, assessed the failings of the Democratic party, and chose something fresh, new, and fundamentally different over a failed political establishment.

Still, Tuesday’s results carry deeper questions about the future. Mamdani’s victory in this primary, significant as it is, must now be tested against Eric Adams and likely Cuomo again in the November election. Beyond that lies a far more challenging test: governing. Progressives across America have watched closely as Chicago’s Brandon Johnson, another promising left-wing mayor, has stumbled against entrenched opposition and due to his own administrative failings. Mamdani will need to navigate obstacles better if elected.

Historical precedent may offer some reassurance for those who wish New York’s mayoral frontrunner well. The tradition of successful municipal socialism in America, including in cities like Milwaukee under the “sewer socialists” and, more recently, in Burlington under Bernie Sanders serve as real examples of socialist governance marked by competence, effectiveness and popularity. Sanders’s legacy in Burlington, especially, stands as a template Mamdani could follow: pragmatic yet deeply principled governance that steadily builds broader legitimacy among skeptics and opponents.

New York mayors have traditionally been considered men who come from nowhere and go nowhere, politically speaking. But Mamdani could break that mold, following Sanders’s trajectory from effective municipal leadership to becoming a durable voice in national politics.

However, to succeed, Mamdani must trust his own judgment — one that has already proved incisive and strategically sound. He must maintain independence from two city establishments: the corporate one, which opposed him at every turn, and the NGO-driven progressive establishment, whose political instincts failed them in recent election cycles.

Mamdani’s platform, which couples a supply-side focused “abundance agenda” with demands for equitable redistribution and expansive public-sector investment, offers precisely the kind of social-democratic governance model New York desperately needs. There’s nothing fundamentally radical about these demands; rather, what’s genuinely radical is the excitement they have inspired among voters, including many who previously disengaged from local politics altogether.

Tonight, Mamdani has undoubtedly delivered a major victory in America’s largest city. But we must be sober about the challenges ahead. Electoral wins are meaningful only if they translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives, and political momentum can dissipate quickly if governance falls short. Mamdani faces an enormous responsibility – not only to his immediate constituency but also to a broader progressive movement watching closely from across the country and the world.

Bhaskar Sunkara is the president of The Nation, the founding editor Jacobin, and the author of The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in An Era of Extreme Inequalities

“My friends, we have done it,” Zohran Mamdani told his supporters at a victory party in Queens. “I will be your Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City.” Mamdani is set to become the Democratic candidate in New York City’s upcoming mayoral election, after delivering a shocking upset against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who long led polls in the primary race but conceded Tuesday night before the votes were even finished being counted as it became clear that Mamdani possessed a commanding and seemingly insurmountable lead.

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“Tonight was not our night,” Cuomo told his supporters, adding of Mamdani: “Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won.” It’s unclear if Cuomo will run as an independent in the November election. Mamdani, 33, is a Democratic Socialist state assemblymember. He emerged victorious from the contentious primary after running a largely grassroots campaign focused on reducing the cost of living for New Yorkers. The Uganda-born politician has touted plans including the launch of city-owned grocery stories, free buses, and free childcare for city residents up to age 5. The Democratic candidate for New York City’s mayor will likely be the city’s next leader, as Democrats have won the last three mayoral elections. Mamdani’s success comes in part due to endorsements by popular progressive candidates, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Local groups including immigrant rights nonprofit Make The Road Action New York, and Teamsters Local 804 have also supported Mamdani. His campaign attracted thousands of individual donors and volunteers.

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Read More: What to Know About New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani The state assemblymember surged in the polls in recent weeks and was shown advancing ahead of Cuomo, who served as governor for a decade, in a major independent polling simulation survey by Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill published a day before the election. Polling for the survey took in mind the ranked-choice voting system used by voters. Cuomo’s win would have marked his comeback to civil leadership after his 2021 resignation as governor following a series of sexual harassment allegations made by more than a dozen women. An investigation into Cuomo by the New York Attorney General’s Office found that he had sexually harassed a number of employees and made a “hostile work environment for women.” Cuomo has denied the most serious accusations levied against him, but has acknowledged that he “acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable.”

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Mamdani will face current New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is running in the race as an independent, as well as Republican Curtis Sliwa and another independent campaign by Jim Walden, a former federal prosecutor, in November’s election. Here’s what to know. How does ranked choice voting work? New York City uses a ranked-choice voting process to elect the mayor, comptroller, borough president, and other elected officials. Under this system, voters can rank their top five candidates for a position. Voters also have the option to vote for one candidate, or rank fewer than five, if they so choose. Candidates who receive more than 50% of first-choice votes win the election. But if there is no candidate that receives a majority of the first-choice votes, then votes are tallied in rounds. The candidate with the least amount of votes in the prior round is eliminated, and voters who ranked that candidate at the top of their remaining choices will instead have their vote count towards their next preferred choice. That process continues until it comes down to two candidates, at which point the person with the most votes will win.

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What happens next? Mamdani’s win is just the start of the general election. Tuesday’s vote was merely a primary to determine who will be representing the Democratic Party. The winner must now compete against Sliwa, the sole Republican candidate running in the race, as well as the independent candidates. Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, a group that encourages civilian patrol of the streets, has identified himself as an anti-Trump Republican who wants greater safety in the city. Sliwa lost to Adams, whose term officially ends on Jan. 1, during the last election in 2021. The next mayor will be chosen on Nov. 4. Voters will once again be able to rank multiple candidates in the general election. What about Eric Adams? Adams, who campaigned and won as a Democrat in 2021, was notably absent from Tuesday’s ballot, though he is still running for reelection. Adams’s tenure in office has been clouded in scandal after he was charged with bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and taking campaign contributions from foreign nationals in his previous mayoral campaign. The federal indictment, which was unsealed last September, claims that Adams gave “favorable treatment” to officials who gave money or other contributions to his campaign. Though he faced pressure to resign, the mayor did not heed calls to step down and has maintained his innocence.

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The Department of Justice, which levied the charges against Adams, dropped their case against the mayor in April, saying that it would interfere with his ability to implement the Trump Administration’s immigration policies. The judge that granted the dismissal called it “disturbing.” “Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions,” the judge wrote, according to the Associated Press. That same month, Adams withdrew his candidacy for the Democratic primary, saying the legal battle had prevented him from effectively campaigning. “I’m in the race to the end. I’m not running on the Democratic line. It’s just not realistic to turn around my numbers and to run a good campaign [from] where we are right now,” Adams told Politico. Adams says he still aligns with the Democratic Party. How frequent are mayoral elections in NYC?

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Mayoral elections for New York City are held every four years.

Mayors can serve up to two consecutive four-year terms. Term limits restrict candidates from running for a third term unless a different candidate has served at least one term in between the time the mayor “last held such office,” per the New York City Charter.