Political Director For Possible Next NYC Mayor Wants To Rename Streets After Alleged Left-Wing Assassins

The political director for Zohran Mamdani, the socialist candidate for New York City mayor, apparently wanted to name a street after Luigi Mangione, the man who allegedly murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

In a Dec. 29, 2024, Facebook post, an account under the name Julian Gerson linked to an opinion piece he wrote that claimed Luigi Mangione is “adored.”

Responding to a comment on his Facebook post, Gerson said he was “looking forward to driving down Mangione Avenue a few decades from now.”

Julian Gerson has served as Mamdani’s political director since March, according to his LinkedIn. Both his Facebook and LinkedIn said Gerson worked for Antonio Delgado’s 2018 campaign for Congress and the House Judiciary Committee Democrats.

“He is adored not only because he dared to target a leader of one of the most vile, self-enriching industries darkening our society today, but because he dared to defy the stasis of nihilistic rejection,” Gerson said of Mangione in the piece linked to his apparent Facebook post.

The 26-year-old Mangione allegedly shot and killed 50-year-old Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024. After a manhunt and Mangione’s eventual arrest, some people online expressed sympathy for Mangione and his alleged actions.

Mangione’s defenders included former Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz, who described Mangione as “morally good” and “handsome” in an April appearance on CNN. (RELATED: NYC’s Socialist Wannabe Mayor Zohran Mamdani Says He’s Helping Police — But Real Cops Say Otherwise)

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced April 1 that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would seek the death penalty for Mangione if he’s convicted of the charges.

“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” Bondi wrote.

Gerson’s opinion piece called Mangione “useful.”

“Because if Mangione is useful for something (other than kicking off the next class revolution) it’s as an avatar for understanding millions of Americans growing dangerously aloof, isolating from others and themselves, and increasingly vindictive towards a world that feels more exclusionary and predetermined by the day,” Gerson wrote.

As political director for Mamdani’s campaign, Gerson plays a key role in shaping Mamdani’s agenda and reaching out to voters.

there are movements that exist to change minds and movements that exist to change the world. this one is both.

Zohran is going to win. https://t.co/vpJePbeiTN

— julian gerson (@julian__gerson) June 15, 2025

Mamdani currently leads the field in polling for the NYC Mayoral race, according to Pix11 News.

The self-proclaimed democratic socialist is known for his stances on taxing corporations, raising the minimum wage and implementing “city-owned grocery stores.”

The Daily Caller emailed Mamdani’s campaign for comment but has not heard back as of publication.