Listen Up, Democrats

Lessons to be learned from an NYC shocker

Credit: Getty Images

You might not think a Democratic primary for New York City mayor would hold much national import. In most election cycles, you would be right. In 2025, you would be mistaken.

No doubt New Yorkers have a mind of their own when it comes to their politics and politicians, but when a democratic socialist wins the Democratic mayoral nomination in the world capital of capitalism, it’s a big deal.

It’s safe to say the shockwaves from this mayoral contest have resonated far west of the Hudson River. If it wasn’t paying attention before, the Democratic establishment must be now. Voters are anxious, almost desperate, for something and someone new and different.

Zohran Mamdani, the newly crowned Democratic mayoral nominee, was born in Uganda before moving with his Indian parents to the United States. He’s a charismatic, 33-year-old Muslim and state assemblyman who trounced Andrew Cuomo, a 67-year-old former governor of New York. Cuomo resigned in 2021 after 11 women accused him of sexual harassment. He denied the allegations but quit the office under pressure.

When put that way, it was not a surprising outcome. But when you add Mamdani’s platform, which includes a tax on millionaires to make city bus service free, city-owned grocery stores to control prices, and free universal child care, the results were astonishing — or something at least close to that.

Mamdani has a good chance of becoming New York’s next mayor in November’s general election. It is by no means assured, but even that he has a shot is a shock. His opponent (so far) is Eric Adams, the scandal-plagued and unpopular current mayor, who is running as an independent. How many others will enter the race is currently unknown, but it is likely to be a crowded field, including at least one Republican.

Because of Mamdani’s left-of-center policies, Wall Street and many in the Democratic Party are in a full-blown panic.

No one knows how much of his socialist platform Mamdani would be able to achieve if he becomes mayor, so some of the fears may be premature. For now, let’s push the policy stuff aside and focus on actionable takeaways.

Democrats can and should learn a lot from this election. The electorate is exhausted and hungry for authenticity, for someone new who will fight to control costs. Mamdani’s campaign focused on the affordability crisis in New York. People are weary of establishment candidates and a Democratic Party that sits on its hands and doesn’t confront head on the likes of Donald Trump.

Mamdani exuded youth and vigor. He was a strong person-to-person campaigner. He focused on kitchen table issues and offered solutions. He flooded the media zone with appearances and videos that went viral and got people excited, which got them to the polls. He flipped the political script to take down the last remnants of a political dynasty.

Most importantly perhaps, he gave people hope — an emotion in extremely short supply these days, but one that has had a strong positive effect on the voting public. Hope equaled votes. It may be time to remind us all that both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama won riding hard on hope messaging.

“What’s happening in NYC is a blaringly loud message to those in the Dem establishment who still cling to old politics, recite focus-grouped talking points, and are too afraid to say what needs to be said,” Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to President Obama, posted on social media.

What needs to be said is that the Democratic Party is having an identity crisis, but not an existential one. I say this as a longtime observer of American politics who recognizes the urgent need to mount a plan to take back government control from a widespread movement led by an increasingly autocratic and egomaniacal president. And since there is no sign that Republicans will do it, it’s up to Democrats.

After Joe Biden’s early exit from the presidential race and Kamala Harris’s insurmountably short general election campaign, Democrats were left with a leadership vacuum. Add to that extended hand-wringing and recriminations for why Harris lost, and you have a party in serious need of repair.

By definition, Democrats are the “big tent” party. They are inclusive, taking all-comers. While this is a laudable trait in a political party, it can make coalition building and message-shaping extremely challenging.

Today, the Democrats do have strong, popular elected officials and candidates in all branches of the party: progressives and centrists, old guard, and young guns. But because they are all vying for control, infighting is inevitable. This hampers their ability to focus on the end game.

The way out of this Trump-centric, anti-democratic wilderness is a simultaneous attack on two fronts. The Democratic Party can’t be the lesser of two evils. To generate enthusiasm, the electorate must want to vote for them, not just against the other guy. Democrats have constantly been warned that they must vigorously criticize Trump, calling out his lies, corruption, and policies that hurt a majority of Americans, while owning the pocketbook issues that help those very same Americans. This is a page straight out of Mamdani’s playbook.

The polling couldn’t be clearer. According to a YouGov poll from mid-June, the top issues among all registered voters are civil rights (17.6%), inflation and prices (16.9%), and jobs and the economy (13.1%). You know what’s not there? Immigration. It has become Trump’s signature issue because he made it an issue. In Nate Silver’s polling average, Trump is underwater on almost every issue, including immigration (-4), the economy (-13), and inflation (-26.5).

The fact that civil rights is at the top of the list is an important change. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Harris, and Biden before her, tried to paint Trump as a threat to democracy. He was then and clearly still is today. But during the campaign it was an amorphous idea that many people simply didn’t believe, all while eggs cost $7 a dozen. But now, eggs aren’t much cheaper, and “democracy in danger” is no longer a hazy notion but a striking reality.

No doubt Mamdani will be a frequent target of Trump and his allies at Fox “News.” But maybe, for once, Democrats won’t take the bait.

Democrats are urged now to adopt an agenda that includes: controlling costs, implementing equitable tax policy, expanding health care, protecting due process, curtailing executive power. All of these things would be helping Americans, while simultaneously restoring our constitutional republic based on the principles of freedom and democracy.

It can and should be both. This would force Republicans to defend Trump’s indefensible and unconstitutional policies. Add in a major helping of hope and Democrats would have a shot at slowing if not outright stopping Trump’s agenda by taking Congress next year.

Does this reporter believe socialism is surging in New York? Or America as a whole? No. But antiestablishment candidates who focus on pocketbook issues and inspire voters will be a force wherever they spring.

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Dan