Zohran Mamdani win in New York propels Democratic Party toward socialism

NEW YORK — America’s biggest city is about to be thrust into a socialist government, and to the chagrin of many Democrats, the rest of the country will be watching.

Zohran Mamdani trounced his competitors in the city’s mayoral race Tuesday, likely reaching a majority and handily defeating his leading opponent, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.

With 89% of the vote reported, Mr. Mandami was declared the winner, leading Mr. Cuomo by 50.4% to 41.6% and Mr. Sliwa at 7.1%.

Mr. Mamdani, a 34-year-old socialist, ran on a platform of freezing rent, opening government-run grocery stores and expanding free services for city residents — all to be funded, he pledged, by imposing hefty new tax increases on businesses and the wealthy.

Virtually unknown in politics just a few months ago, Mr. Mamdani is now set to become one of the most visible Democrats in the party and New York City’s youngest mayor in generations. 

His plans to steer one of the world’s largest economies toward socialism have left Democratic Party leaders nervously watching from the sidelines, while the far-left flank cheers his promise to reduce the cost of living for lower-income residents.

“It’s an agenda,” Mr. Mamdani said Tuesday, “that will finally bring working-class New Yorkers to the heart of our politics, a place they haven’t been in some time.”

Mr. Mamdani’s win and his anti-capitalist ideals propel him to a high-profile position among Democrats as the party grapples with an internal struggle over its direction and future.  

“He’ll be the leader of a new party,” New York City Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf predicted. “You can call it the Democrats. But it’s really democratic socialist.”

Earlier in the day, Mr. Mamdani basked in his campaign’s imminent victory, which he promised would “transform the most expensive city in America into one that’s affordable.”

Voters who back him say the city has gotten too expensive and does little to help the homeless with mental health problems. 

“I would like a mayor who cares more about the people and who can help figure out how to have a better, caring city,” said Daphne, a 49-year-old real estate agent from Brooklyn who sported a Zohran button. “I’m not afraid of socialism. I think we’ve had enough of capitalism and it’s gone too far.”

The crowd at Brooklyn Paramount Theater, where Mr. Mamdani held an election-night party, was jubilant. 

“We’re excited. This is a very historic moment for our community and for New York City and for the world, the first Muslim mayor to be elected in New York City, and it’s a very exciting time,” We’ve worked so hard to get here,” said Ajifanta Marenah, the 27-year-old vice president of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York.

Outside of New York, few Democratic lawmakers were celebrating. Instead, they distanced themselves from Mr. Mamdani and his base of supporters.

“This isn’t my election,” Sen John Fetterman, a Democrat from the swing state of Pennsylvania, said in an interview as he walked through the Capitol. “It’s not going to impact my life, and I don’t think — hopefully — it won’t impact our party’s future, either.”

Party leadership has worked to keep Mr. Mamdani and his socialist agenda at arm’s length as they vie to win back enough increasingly fickle voters to reclaim the House and Senate majorities in the 2026 midterm election.

Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer declined to endorse Mr. Mamdani, even though Mr. Schumer represents New York and Mr. Mamdani won the city’s Democratic primary. 

Mr. Schumer would not disclose to reporters whether he voted for Mr. Mamdani, who maintained a double-digit lead in the polls ahead of election day.

“I have a good relationship with him and we’re continuing to talk,” Mr. Schumer said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents part of Brooklyn, gave Mr. Mamdani a tepid last-minute endorsement, but when asked on CNN over the weekend whether Mr. Mamdani embodies the party’s future, Mr. Jeffries responded: “No.”

Republicans, meanwhile, are champing at the bit to make Mr. Mamdani their party’s new foil.

While Mr. Mamdani’s agenda is popular with the city’s hyper-progressive base, business leaders and critics have warned that his tax increases, coupled with his socialist policies, will provoke an exodus and destroy the financial capital of the United States.

“We are watching New York City very closely,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said Tuesday. “So is Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. And they are terrified that Marxists have taken over their party, and the evidence today may show that that is true.”

Mr. Mamdani has railed against capitalism and has called for defunding the police and closing prisons. 

He has modified the latter two positions and said he wants to create a department of community safety to handle non-violent 911 calls and would add more diversion programs and supervised releases to lower prison populations.

Mr. Mamdani’s win galvanizes a growing, influential, far-left wing of the Democratic Party that advocates for taxing the wealthy and expanding services, spending and policies that help lower-income individuals and families. 

While some party leaders shunned him, Mr. Mamdani received endorsements from the far left’s leading stars: Sen. Bernie Sanders, a socialist from Vermont, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat who represents part of Queens. 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also endorsed Mr. Mamdani, although she has not signed on to his plan to hike the city’s corporate tax rate to 11.5% and impose a 2% surtax on millionaires.

President Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mr. Mamdani wins and implements his socialist agenda. He called Mr. Mamdani — a Muslim and fierce critic of Israel who has said he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes — a Jew hater.

Anyone who votes for Mr. Mamdani, the president said, “is a stupid person.” 

Mr. Trump’s last-minute endorsement of Mr. Cuomo, who ran as an independent, did little to help the former governor, who hoped to stage a political comeback on Tuesday and campaigned on blocking Mr. Trump’s agenda.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from the swing state of Michigan who has warned Democrats to reject the far-left woke agenda, said Tuesday’s results showcase the diversity of the party. 

Moderate Democrats Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, correctly predicted, won governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia. 

“The message is — we’re a big tent,” Ms. Slotkin said. “Win where you can. What works in New York City doesn’t work in Kansas. There are lots of Democrats in lots of races. They have their own politics, and that should be a positive thing.”