In a stunning upset to many political pundits and pollsters alike, New York state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, defeated former state Gov. Andrew Cuomo to become the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City.
Despite leading in most polls in the weeks preceding last week’s primary election, despite overblown criticism of Mamdani’s stance on Israel, Cuomo – the preferred candidate of Democratic Party donors – conceded the race last Tuesday as the results showed a clear path for Mamdani to take the nomination.
Even still, national party leaders, like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have put themselves at an arm’s distance. While congratulating him on his successful campaign, neither Schumer nor Jeffries have explicitly endorsed Mamdani in the general election against disgraced incumbent Eric Adams.
Avoiding what is perceived as the far left of the party is nothing new. The modern establishment of the Democratic Party has shied away from figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Mamdani’s victory should signal to party leaders that this thinking is tired, and – most importantly – it is electorally unsuccessful.