Mamdani’s mayoral primary victory a wake-up call for party politics

How a little-known, 33-year-old Muslim democratic socialist of Indian origin beat a well-funded mainstream party stalwart - and what it means for democracy

Zohran Mamdani’s stunning come-from-behind victory in New York’s Democratic mayoral primary Tuesday should serve as a wake-up call for Democratic politicians struggling to connect with voters but lacking a compelling enough case to win their votes.

That it took a 33-year-old Muslim, democratic socialist of Indian origin and little name recognition to jump ahead of three others, including the well-financed establishment favorite Andrew Cuomo, tells us two things: One, that the Democratic political power base has been out of touch with real people and their needs. Two, that even in this hate-infused MAGA Republican-dominated political environment, the American dream can still can come to pass. It also has implications for Republican Party voters, some of whom are starting to see they were sold a bill of goods. But more on that later.

So, what was Mamdani’s secret? The Guardian summarized his message on an MSNBC interview this way: “His populist campaign – which focused on inequality and promised radical moves on rent, the price of food and free public transport – could be deployed anywhere in the U.S. as Democrats seek to combat Donald Trump and his Maga movement.”

That takes vision, authenticity and the courage to articulate what needs changing without worrying about which powers or benefactors you might offend. It takes someone idealistic enough to buck the conventional wisdom that you can’t get there without making deals with the devil, and savvy enough to build alliances with grassroots players. It takes understanding that real power springs from the bottom up.

Conventional wisdom was turned on its head multiple times in Mamdani’s race. If he wins, Mamdani would be New York’s first Muslim mayor. Conventional thinking had it that Jewish voters would shun a candidate who criticized Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. Mamdani, a New York State Assembly member, has decried anti-Semitism and also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign of attacks on Palestinian territories. He was endorsed by the organization Jewish Voice for Peace Action, which in a press release described its quest for “a mayor who will fight with us for the humanity, dignity, and freedom of all people — from NYC to Palestine.”

It also said, “Trump-supporting billionaires and hateful politicians spent millions of dollars trying to smear Zohran and use the New York Jewish community as a political pawn to drive division. They failed.” Its volunteers knocked on some 80,000 New Yorkers’ doors and made hundreds of thousands of calls on Mamdani’s behalf, according to the organization.

Conventional wisdom in politics has also indulged past sexual misconduct by candidates of both parties. Trump voters apparently turned a blind eye to court rulings ordering him to pay journalist E. Jean Carroll, $5 million for sexually abusing her, and $83.3 million for related defamation. On the Democrats’ side, Andrew Cuomo resigned as New York’s governor in 2021 over multiple sexual harassment allegations that were found to constitute a hostile work environment. Yet he still pulled in millions from Democratic Party donors, and endorsements from Bill Clinton and South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn in the mayoral primary Mamdani won.

Then there’s the attempted comeback by Anthony Weiner in seeking a seat on the New York City Council. Wiener derailed his career as a congressman in 2011 by having illicit online sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl, for which he faced 10 years in prison. He took a guilty plea, and was released in 2019 after serving 18 months.

He ran in a New York City Council primary this week. When I last checked, he was reported to be in fourth place out of five candidates.

Apparently voters are showing less tolerance for such conduct than some party stalwarts. Short of declaring a moratorium on sex offenders holding public office, it would be progress if both major parties didn’t fund their campaigns.

What about a Republican wake-up call? The truth is, Donald Trump’s vows to make voters’ lives better by making life worse for certain groups doesn’t seem to be panning out. No number of ICE raids will grow ordinary Americans’ paychecks. No bans on bathroom usage by transgender people will improve the average Americans’ health care affordability. No defunding of universities, or lawsuits against the press or hiking of foreign trade tariffs has brought food prices down. The question is, when will Republican voters have a candidate of conscience willing to buck their party’s top player?

In Mamdani’ words, “We have found exactly the way to defeat organized money, which is organized people.” Though this election was New York’s, understanding these dynamics is especially important in a place like Iowa, where hard-right Republicans dominate the political landscape and the economy, and dictate which laws get passed and signed and upheld in court.

If Iowa Democrats are to reclaim power, they can’t just resort to the same old ideas and networks for funding and votes. They need to be building new alliances, pounding pavements and sinking tires into dirt roads to listen. And they need to offer innovative answers for people stuck in minimum wage jobs, women whose fertility rights have been stripped and so many others abandoned by those in power. They need to give young people fleeing a state that no longer reflects their values a reason to stay.

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