Zohran Mamdani’s election victory in the NYC mayoral race has attracted national excitement. It’s clear that conservative forces, both inside and outside the Democratic Party, are worried about what it means to have a Muslim, pro-Palestine democratic socialist achieve such a level of success. With establishment and big business support rallying behind disgraced former governor Andrew Cuomo—who lost handily to Zohran in the primary—and current Mayor Eric Adams, who has collaborated with the Trump administration on ICE deportations, many will recall how these same forces moved swiftly to prevent Bernie Sanders from winning the presidential nomination in 2016.
Although it remains to be seen whether Zohran will emerge victorious in the general election, what is certain is that his campaign has sparked a firestorm of discussion about what his victory means for the Democratic Party and the left. Some have chalked it up to a privileged upbringing and excellent communication skills. I recently watched one commentator explain that the policies Zohran is running on—including investment in accessible transit and childcare—are the same things Democrats often support, and that if only we could learn to use social media like Zohran, Democrats could start winning again. For the record number of young people who turned out to support his campaign—and those across the nation who have been excited observers—this analysis clearly misses the mark.
Many have argued that Zohran won only in spite of his pro-Palestine and socialist politics, but if you look at the social movement and base of over 50,000 people who were inspired to turn out and volunteer, it’s clearly quite the opposite. One thing that separates Zohran from any other progressive candidate in the race is the support of the NYC Democratic Socialists of America—a mass organization of over 10,000 members and scores of experienced campaign organizers standing ready to support his election. In addition to ready-made campaign infrastructure, effective messaging was also key.
For years, Democratic Party leadership and the Israel lobby have hammered the public with the idea that any criticism of Israel is antisemitism and politically unacceptable. In the face of this, Zohran won as a pro-Palestine Muslim in one of the most Jewish cities on the planet. On top of that, he also won as an open socialist among an electorate that has been inundated with red scare propaganda for generations. Following Kamala Harris’s loss last year, many party insiders argued that the party needs to move further to the right to attract more voters. If Zohran’s campaign has taught us anything, it’s that voters don’t want leaders who are more right-wing or more supportive of Israel—they want leaders who speak meaningfully to the everyday struggles faced by working-class Americans across this country.
On the opposite side of the country, I’ve experienced many of the same dynamics—albeit at a smaller scale—as a democratic socialist running for the Tacoma City Council. With the support of the Tacoma DSA, our campaign has turned out a base of over 70 volunteers, recently helping us cross the threshold of having knocked on every one of the over 10,000 doors of registered voters in Tacoma’s 5th District. One thing I’ve learned is that although interpretations of what it means to be a socialist can vary greatly among voters, what it does clearly communicate is a departure from everyday politics.
In blue cities like NYC and Tacoma, it can be difficult for voters to easily distinguish between progressive and establishment candidates. This is especially true as progressives often do a poor job of differentiating themselves, while establishment picks have learned to muddy the waters by adopting progressive language—while leaving policy on the cutting room floor.
In the last few years alone, the cost of living has risen enormously. From the NYC election results to my conversations with voters across Tacoma, one thing is clear: Americans are ready for a different path. Running as a democratic socialist demonstrates a clear willingness to buck the status quo and fight for a program that puts the interests of working people first. If you ask me—and over half a million NYC voters—that’s the kind of clarity we need to defeat Trump and the corporate oligarchy.
by Zev Rose Cook
