Zohran Mamdani’s Victory: The Hard Part Has Just Begun
Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York City is a political milestone that will inevitably generate a clash between ideology and reality as democratic socialism attempts to thrive in America’s capital of capitalism.
Zohran Mamdani’s remarkable win in New York City has rewritten the political playbook, but the real test is only just beginning. His transition from state assemblyman to mayor is not an ending but a beginning, where ideals collide with the reality of power and where slogans must evolve into policy. The survival of his brand of democratic socialism within the machinery of America’s most relentless metropolis will shape not only his legacy, but the future of the movement he embodies.
Zohran Mamdani celebrates after won an election at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York (AFP)
The 34-year-old state assemblyman’s impressive victory, winning more than 50 percent of the vote marks the first time New Yorkers elected a mayor who identifies himself as a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). He is also the first South Asian and Muslim to lead the nation’s largest metropolis with a significant Jewish population. If his victory proves durable, the tremors will be felt far and wide, suggesting that America could be on the cusp of yet another transformation in its politics. But that is a big “if,” and what comes next in a city known for its rambunctious local politics is what really counts.
Mamdani inherits a New York where campaign slogans and dreams often die in the cogs of City Hall, where campaign promises become mired in a clunky municipal government apparatus dominated by the demands of unions, fiscal constraints, competing interests at the state capitol in Albany, a toxic political culture, and the revenge of the political dynasty he toppled in his out-of-the-blue victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The Key Issue is Affordability, Not Socialism
Although Mamdani’s political foes will no doubt make much of his ties to Socialism, he delivered his commanding victory by embracing shrewd contemporary politics and not stuffy philosophy.
“I think there are those who will want to depict this election as New York endorsing Socialism,” said David Axelrod, a veteran political analyst who helped engineer President Barack Obama’s White House victory. “But I don’t think that’s what’s happening. It’s important to understand how he ran with a laser focus on affordability, which is a powerful issue in New York and all over the country.” His success suggests that the cost-of-living issues that led to the defeat of President Joseph Biden remain a potent force in politics that Democrats could use in the upcoming midterm congressional elections to impose limits on President Donald Trump’s power.
A charismatic Democratic member of the New York Statehouse, Mamdani, 34, strode on to a stage and gave notice to the Democratic Party and the aging elite of its’ standard bearers that he represented the dawn of a new day. “I am young, despite my efforts grow older,” he said, flashing his infamous smile. “I am a Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.” He told the cheering, youthful crowd that he was ready to take on President Donald Trump, who had demeaned him in the days before the election as ‘a liddle Communist.’ “Donald Trump,” Mamdani said with a tone of defiance in his voice, ”since I know you are watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.” He vowed he would not cave in to the vested interests of either party.
Born in Uganda to Indian parents, Mamdani moved to New York as a child and worked as a low-income housing counselor before running for the Queens assemblyman seat in 2020 that launched his political career as a democratic socialist. He campaigned hard and shrewdly on the soaring cost of living. Little known and inexperienced, he shocked the New York political establishment by winning the Democratic primary in June with 56.4 percent of the vote, leading to Tuesday’s contest against Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and Curtis Sliwa, a Republican. He won with an impressive 50.1 percent of the vote with almost all ballots counted. Just a few months before the primary, he had name recognition of just one percent.
Younger Voters Flock to Mamdani
During his campaign, Mamdani tailored his message to younger voters who are less sensitive to the Socialist label than their parents and who share Mamdani’s concern with his signature issue: the stubborn high cost of living in one of America’s most expensive cities. He promised universal childcare, fare-free transit, rent freezes, and universal healthcare in New York City – all transformative issues that, if successful, could be adopted more broadly. Mamdani ran strongest in areas of the city populated by younger New Yorkers.
“It reflects the reality of our times that young people are struggling to see their opportunities in this economy,” said Axelrod. “There’s no doubt there are progressives in New York who voted for him because he was the most progressive candidate, but the other element is he’s a departure from the status quo that is quite unpopular with a lot of New Yorkers. Undervalued is that, in this grinding negative environment, he’s run a creative and joyful campaign. He is a happy warrior when very few people are happy. It’s a different kind of politics.”
Mamdani and his supporters basked in the glow of victory as the votes rolled in Tuesday night, with many predicting he will become a new face in Democratic politics representing issues that can no longer be ignored. Once the celebratory balloons deflate, though, Mamdani will be judged not just by the vote count but also by his ability to implement a democratic socialist agenda in New York’s turbulent political climate. His triumph represents a key test for the DSA movement and could determine if Democrats can borrow tactics from his approach to fashion a winning strategy for future elections.
Tax Hikes Crucial to Mamdani’s Success
One thing Mamdani convincingly showed his Democratic allies is how to expand the party’s tent. He skillfully created a coalition of young voters, Latinos, Blacks, and traditionally underrepresented groups, rallying them around the affordability issue. To pay for the free bus rides, city- owned grocery stores and rent freezes he promised, Mamdani proposed something that fits comfortably under the Socialist and progressive Democratic umbrella: a two percent income tax increase on residents who earn more than $1 million, and an increase in the corporate tax rate from 7.5 percent to 11.5 percent. Together, the two tax hikes would generate $9 billion, making the city’s income tax rate, including taxes levied by the state, the highest in the nation.
The prospect of tax hikes makes business leaders in New York nervous, and there’s talk of relocating their firms elsewhere. But Mamdani will need approval of his tax plans from Albany and Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat with relatively low approval ratings. Although she endorsed Mamdani, she faces a primary challenge from her lieutenant governor in June 2026 and opposes any tax increases. Senate and House legislators in the state capitol historically support higher taxes on the wealthy, but Mamdani will have to marshal strong support to win approval of his transformative agenda.
He is a Democrat, Too
Aware of the challenge, Mamdani emphasized that he was not only a democratic socialist but also a member of the Democratic Party during his campaign, with one eye on those concerned about his ties to the DSA and the other on Albany.
But he’s embracing a Democratic Party that is adrift, suffering from inflamed tensions within its ranks: liberals versus leftists, Zionists versus anti-Zionists, social justice advocates against economic populists. The tensions in both the national and state parties expose the fundamental challenge that Democrats and Mamdani face: how to broaden coalitions that include suburban voters and young city dwellers without alienating traditional sources of support and money.
Significantly, Mamdani’s view on the war in Gaza concerned Jewish voters, a historically influential source of support for New York Democrats. He not only harshly criticized Israel’s military response to the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, but he also threatened to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he tries to visit New York City, a questionable proposition. Pouring fuel on the fire, he called the Israeli military actions in the war genocide.
Mamdani Worries Jewish Voters
New York is home to the largest Jewish population of any city in America, and Mamdani’s politics worry some Jewish residents already on edge by a rising tide of antisemitism in America. Mamdani embarked on an outreach effort to ease those concerns, visiting synagogues, meeting with rabbis, and vowing to provide police protection for Jewish interests when needed. When the results came in, though, he lost the Jewish vote to Cuomo. Nonetheless, he never backed off his strong support for Palestinian rights and showed how it’s possible to stand up to strong, wealthy lobbies.
Despite his challenges, Mamdani emerged from his campaign as an innovative and exciting leader who could become a model for the new brand of politics cited by Axelrod. He ran a savvy social media campaign that was light on text and the written word, and heavy on vivid videos. He flooded the city with bright, bold broadcasts, igniting a social media blitz that enabled him to garner significant financial support from smaller donors. Wealthy New Yorkers poured millions into Cuomo’s campaign, but the money didn’t talk as it usually does. Mamdani created a new political playbook that marries socialist economics with digital communications, grassroots organizing with viral content. His mastery of social media made his campaign less reliant on the large donors.
Wounded Cuomo Will Wait in the Wings
The key questions are: can this approach be applied more widely by Mamdani’s fellow Democrats? Also, Is his victory a defining moment for the progressive wing of the Democratic party, or is he a flash in the pan that will cool with time?
Although Mamdani’s has drawn national attention, the answers to those questions will come in New York, where he will have to prove himself and where he will face some steep challenges.
One of them is the man he beat, Andrew Cuomo. He didn’t just beat him. Mamdani humiliated a New York political dynasty, creating an enemy that will no doubt wait in the wings for revenge. Cuomo’s political network is wounded but not dead. He will probably work to magnify any stumble by the new mayor into a spectacle.
Also, the big opportunity he handed to progressive Democrats carries significant risks. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democrats who ushered Democratic Socialism onto the national stage, had much to celebrate. With Mamdani in City Hall, though, their movement’s credibility will be put to the test in real time. A Mamdani failure will be more than a mayoral mistake; it will probably be viewed as proof that the DSA offers verse rather than vision.
Another national political force that could help or hinder Mamdani is President Trump, who reacted viscerally to Mamdani’s campaign. The President has threatened to arrest and deport the new mayor and place New York under federal control—an unprecedented intervention in a municipal election. As a result, Trump could make Mamdani’s tenure challenging, but this opposition might also benefit the new mayor. Notably, President Trump remains deeply unpopular. His national approval rating has just hit a new low for his second term, at 37 percent, while his ratings in New York, at 39 percent, are among the lowest of states in the country. He is probably even less popular in his hometown. Democratic victories in gubernatorial races in Virginia, New Jersey and a referendum in California will be seen as rebukes of Trump’s policies
Mamdani’s Fate Tied to New York
For Mamdani, the sobering fact is that his campaign will probably start and stop in New York. This is because occupying City Hall in New York rarely, if ever, leads to a higher office; several former mayors, such as Michael Bloomberg, have tried but failed.
Ultimately, New York politics endure. Running the city means managing compromise, incremental wins and losses, and navigating entrenched systems — often forces rejected by the mayor’s progressive and Democratic Socialist allies. But New York’s rough-and-tumble political world punishes such tactics. Public sector unions, real estate developers, and outer borough voters skeptical of Manhattan politics endure despite election outcomes.
If Mamdani succeeds, he could create a path for transforming American cities and show that Democratic Socialism, Mamdani- style, can win and thrive in America’s largest city. That would be a transformative and magic moment. If he fails, he will feed the skepticism about the DSA’s shortcomings. Sitting on the sidelines with their collective eyes focused on the young Muslim mayor will be Trump and his MAGA allies, eager to weaponize any gaffes to their advantage in the midterm congressional elections. This election was not just about free bus fares and cheap rents; it centered on whether Mamdani can lead his ideological soulmates from protesting the government to running it.
The hard part has just begun.
–James O’Shea
James O’Shea is an award-winning American journalist and author. He is the past editor-in-chief of The Los Angeles Times, former managing editor of the Chicago Tribune, and chairman of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. He is the author of three books, including The Deal from Hell, a compelling narrative about the collapse of the American newspaper industry. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.
A version of this article was originally published on November 5, 2025 in Eagle Intelligence Reports. https://eagleintelreports.com/zohran-mamdani-victory-the-hard-part-begun-in-new-new-york/