I have a new column this week on OnlySky. It’s about the election of Zohran Mamdani as New York mayor and what it means for the future of American politics.
This month, a democratic socialist Muslim was elected to run one of the world’s greatest cities. In his rise to power, Mamdani defied conventional wisdom, flummoxed the media establishment, infuriated the billionaire class, and shrugged off suspicion and outright hostility from the ossified Democratic party elites. But his brand of unapologetically progressive politics connected with voters. It inspired the young and motivated an army of thousands of volunteers to get out the vote for him. It’s drawn positive attention and renewed hope all around the world.
Is his victory a fluke that can’t be repeated elsewhere – something unique to the political conditions in NYC? Or does it signal the approach of a sea change in our politics?
Read the excerpt below, then click through to see the full piece. This column is free to read, but members of OnlySky also get special benefits, like member-only posts and a subscriber newsletter:
At the start of the campaign, Andrew Cuomo was the heir-in-waiting. The son of a popular former mayor and a member of President Bill Clinton’s cabinet, he was governor of New York during the COVID era. He resigned in 2021 after accusations that he sexually harassed women in his staff, but he decided to make a comeback.
By contrast, Mamdani, a city councilman from Astoria, started out as an unknown. The earliest polls showed him at 1%, tied with “someone else”. He’s a Muslim—long thought a liability in the city that went through 9/11—and a naturalized citizen who emigrated from Uganda—at a time when the U.S. is experiencing a violent resurgence of xenophobia. As mentioned, he’s also a democratic socialist, an ideology that one party distrusts and the other despises.
But he ran a smart, media-savvy campaign. He combined an unapologetic progressive platform with undeniable personal charisma and a string of viral videos: like jumping into frigid January water in a suit to promote his proposed rent freeze, or a ferocious confrontation with Trumpist border czar Tom Homan, or walking the entire length of Manhattan while talking to voters along the way.
Fact check:
Your article says he was “[t]he son of a popular former mayor”. His father, Mario Cuomo, was never mayor of NYC or anywhere else. He was governor of the State of NY for 12 years.
Argh – silly mistake, I should’ve caught that. Thanks, I’ll see that it’s fixed.
There is a mild echo of Mamdani’s victory out here on the west coast.
It appears (there will certainly be a recount) that the leftist candidate for mayor of Seattle, Katie Wilson, has beaten the incumbent, Bruce Harrell. Harrell does not have a history of sexual harassment, and he is a bit to the left of Cuomo. Katie Wilson is not nearly as charismatic or energetic or creative as Mamdani, but she is a genuine leftist. A bit shy on experience but the Seattleites who support her are counting on her being a fast learner.
Of course, the problem Mamdani and Wilson face is that the entire business establishment, likely including the police, will be ferociously opposed to both new mayors. It is a tough call.
Beating the people who rig the game, while playing their game, is an almost impossible task. Let us hope that there is a way to effectively oppose the oligarchs.
Good news about Katie Wilson! I hadn’t heard about that.
Bill de Blasio had some good accomplishments as mayor (universal pre-K comes to mind), but I’ve always thought his greatest failure was that he didn’t rein in the police more effectively, especially after the murder of Eric Garner. I’m hoping Mamdani learns from that history.
From what I understand, his legions of volunteers aren’t disbanding after the election. They’re planning to stay organized so they can pressure business leaders and legislators on his behalf to help enact his platform. That was a serious mistake Obama made, one that Mamdani doesn’t seem poised to repeat.
I wish both Mamdani and Wilson the best of luck. Neither of Seattle’s mayors since 2009 has served more than a single term (several less), and the city council has been swinging back and forth between pro-business and pro-labor. This is the second time in the 21st century that the candidate endorsed by The Stranger beats the one endorsed by The Seattle Times. I hope Wilson does much better than McGinn!
It’s official: Wilson won!
My gut says that the most populous city in the northeast and the west coast have more educated, open-minded people who embrace progressives, but I can’t see a type like Mamdani getting any traction in the stupid states.