The Rise of Zohran Mamdani: What Democrats Must Learn From NYC’s Shocking Primary

How a 33-year-old socialist toppled Andrew Cuomo—and sent a wake-up call to Washington

New York City Democrats chose their candidate for mayor this week—and the result stunned the national party. A previously little-known 33-year-old Democratic Socialist named Zohran Mamdani won in a landslide. But that’s not the most interesting part of the story. The real headline is who he defeated.

Running in a four-person field, Mamdani bested former Governor Andrew Cuomo by seven points. Cuomo, 67, is the definition of an establishment Democrat. He first served in the Clinton administration and has held public office for over two decades—ten of them as governor. As the son of the late Governor Mario Cuomo, once a presidential hopeful himself, Andrew Cuomo was widely expected to cruise through the primary. And in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans six to one, a primary win would have virtually guaranteed victory in November.

While New York politics are famously liberal, national Democrats would be wise to pay attention. Mamdani’s win underscores a few key lessons: voters are hungry for leaders who understand their daily lives, who reflect a new generation, and who are ready to confront Donald Trump with energy, and optimism—not just experience.

Cuomo embodied the old guard. His campaign focused on well-worn themes like public safety, homelessness, and education. These are important issues, but he treated them with a business-as-usual tone. His campaign was slow and formulaic, delivering boilerplate speeches in controlled settings and avoiding the press. On social media, he barely registered. His ads were conventional, and his supporters seemed more nostalgic than inspired.

Mamdani, on the other hand, brought energy and flair. He took interviews from friendly and hostile outlets alike. He kept a relentless schedule. He jumped into the freezing ocean to promote his public housing rent freeze plan. He ate street food on the subway and walked the length of Manhattan, snapping selfies and chatting with voters. He focused on issues like jobs, food prices, transit, housing, and childcare—everyday concerns. His message was clear: I see you, I hear you, and I’m one of you.

Now, I don’t agree with most of Mamdani’s solutions. His policies often center around expanding government spending, raising taxes (in the highest taxed city in America), and shrinking the role of the private sector. He wants to make city buses free and create city-run grocery stores. He acknowledges the city’s housing crisis, yet opposes tax incentives for developers—policies that could help build more housing, not less. (I will write more on housing on a later date).

More troubling is his support for the slogan “globalize the intifada.” The word intifada—Arabic for “uprising”—refers to past Palestinian campaigns that have included suicide bombings, violent protests, and economic boycotts. One such uprising from 2000 to 2005 led to nearly 1,000 Israeli deaths. Calling to globalize that effort has inspired antisemitic incidents around the world. That cannot be dismissed, and it must not be tolerated. As Tim Miller on a recent Bulwark podcast noted, whether or not he agrees with it, he was hesitant to condemn, which could show an unwillingness to make supporters mad… a trait that could make it tough to make important governing decisions.

Still, Mamdani’s victory is sending shockwaves through Washington. According to Axios, roughly one-third of House Democrats now fear primary challenges from younger, anti-establishment candidates who are focused on the economic pain facing working people. As Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts put it, voters want Democrats to “fight harder.” Mamdani convinced them he would. As a note, this is very similar to the feelings in the GOP from 2010 to the arrival of Trump.

Democrats shouldn’t take this to mean the party must embrace sweeping government control or abandon its support for Israel. But Mamdani’s win is a wake-up call. The party must show up for working Americans and fight—boldly, visibly, and consistently—against Donald Trump and the forces of extremism that threaten our democracy.

New York city is quite different than the rest of the country. One thing, however, is clear: there is a generational shift happening, and that maybe a good thing if the middle realizes this, and puts up candidates that reflect the same energy.