Establishment Democrats Are Terrified—And Zohran Mamdani, Not Señor Trumpanzee, Is Why

From Renters To Revolutionaries— Mamdani’s Win Is Rewriting Democratic Politics 

One month ago to the day, Zohran Mamdani won the NYC Democratic mayoral primary, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in an upset that shocked the Democratic Party Establishment. In the highest turnout mayoral primary since 1989— 1,026,783 voter— Mamdani trounced Cuomo 545,33 (56%) to 428,530 (44%), a 12-point margin by mobilizing an enthusiastic coalition of younger and middle-class voters, particularly renters, across Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. His victory was historic, with over 20,000 donors and 50,000 volunteers. As Bernie noted, “Zohran Mamdani talked about issues of relevance to working-class people. The city responded to him, and he won,” ending shockwaves through the fossilized old guard of the Democratic Party.

His victory was fueled by charisma, authenticity, in-person interactions, viral videos and, most important, policy proposals that resonated especially among younger and first-time primary voters concerned about the city’s affordability crisis. His agenda is focused on economic justice— lowering the cost of living, including free city buses, freezing rent increases on rent-stabilized apartments, and opening city-run grocery stores in food deserts, centering on putting working people first, rather than on the elites who backed Cuomo and while being an alternative to Cuomo certainly helped given Cuomo's scandals, the evidence suggests voters were drawn to Mamdani's specific progressive economic agenda addressing NYC's cost-of-living crisis rather than simply voting against his opponent. 

Aside from Bernie and AOC, Mamdani has now been endorsed by Congress Members Jerry Nadler, Nydia Velázquez and Adriano Espaillat, as well as by state Attorney General Letitia James, NYC Public Advocate Jumanne Williams, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson  and state legislators like Michael Blake, Jabari Brisport, Emily Gallagher, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Phara Souffrant Forrest, Zohra Ahmed. He has also been endorsed by national leaders like Robert Reich, Delia Ramirez (D-IL). Ro Khanna (D-CA), and by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka— as well as by the NYC Central Labor Council (AFL-CIO), the Working Families Party, the New York State Nurses Association, the United Federation of Teachers, 32BJ SEIU, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, MoveOn and the Sunrise Movement.

On the other hand, the part of the Democratic Party that brought America Donald Trump, including some of New York’s most disliked politicians, have refused to endorse Mamdani, hurting their own standing with progressive voters, including Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kathy Hochul and Congress Members Hakeem Jeffries,  Laura Gillen, Dan Goldman, Greg Meeks, and AIPAC whores Ritchie Torres and George Latimer.

Yesterday, Alex Thompson reported that the New York establishment is still dug in against Mamdani despite his soaring popularity among Democratic base voters, noting that “The schism over Mamdani is a version of the turbulence Democrats are wrestling with nationwide, as progressives and some party operatives are increasingly frustrated by snubs from the establishment. That divide was clear last week, when Mamdani visited D.C. Most Democrats on Capitol Hill kept their distance, but dozens of progressive members of Congress greeted him enthusiastically at a breakfast arranged by Rep. AOC.”

The pro-genocide/pro-developer crowd, particularly Schumer and Jeffries, are about as enthusiastic about Mamdani as Trump is, even as Mamdani reaches out in peace to the party’s conservatives. Thompson noted the difference of how Pelosi and the Democratic establishment embraced Eric Adams a former Republican dripping in corruption, when he came to DC after winning the Democratic primary 4 years ago.(By the way, you can help retire Pelosi by supporting Saikat Chakabarti here.) Thompson speculated that “Some Democrats are worried about how Mamdani's rise in New York City has already set off Republican fear-mongering aimed at the entire Democratic Party. Some conservative critics are focusing on Mamdani being a Muslim who was born in Uganda, while others, such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, are calling him a ‘communist.’ Spokespeople for Mamdani and Jeffries did not respond to requests for comment.”

Progressive candidates around the country are elated by Mamdani’s win. For example, Elijah Manley, the progressive Democrat taking on scandal-plagued Florida incumbent Sheila Cherifilus-McCormick, told us that “Zohran Mamdani's victory in the NYC mayoral primary sends a strong message that the establishment era of the Democratic Party is over. All across America, Democrats are rising up and demanding a progressive future. I'm proud to be a leading voice in the movement to fight for working people, not the billionaire class.”

For the Jeffries and Schumers who think they can hold off the revolution, they better understand that it’s not coming… it’s already here. Their self-serving, careerist establishment may still control the donor lists, the consultants and the Sunday shows— but Mamdani and others like him control the future. His campaign isn’t just defeating Andrew Cuomo… its burying  a political worldview that has prioritized luxury developments for foreign oligarchs, bloated police budgets and billionaire donors over working-class New Yorkers. And the old guard knows it. Schumer, Hochul, Jeffries, and the rest of the corporate chorus are treating him like a threat… because he is.

Wisconsin progressive Randy Bryce is working to bring the working families revolution on Yesterday he told us that he wonders “how some Dems would react if Mamdani had lost the primary and decided to run as an independent? How can we claim to be pro-democracy but not be okay with the results of an election? A point that I’d like to make is that instead of complain who won a primary, do something better the next election cycle. That would include bringing a candidate who knows how to unite— not divide.”

In his NY Times OpEd yesterday, fossilized Clintonite James Carville, stuck in decades past and depressed about Mamdani and the next generation of Democrats, wrote that his version of the Democratic Party is “constipated, leaderless, confused. A cracked-out clown car. Divided… The Democratic Party is in shambles. Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary wasn’t an isolated event. It represents an undeniable fissure in our political soul. We are divided along generational lines: Candidates like Mamdani are impatient for an economic future that folks my age are skeptical can be delivered. We are divided along ideological lines: A party that is historically allegiant to the state of Israel is at odds with a growing faction that will not look past the abuses in Gaza and the West Bank. From Medicare for All purists to Affordable Care Act reformists, the list goes on and on.” He refuses to recognize that the fossils like himself are the faction and threatens civil war, willing to see the party destroyed, unwilling to see the part progress.

AIPAC was once primarily a Democratic Party donor; now it's mostly Republican, something Carville doesn't seem to grok.

Carville’s best days were behind him before Suffolk County congressional candidate Lukas Ventouras was born. He told us that he’s finding “it disappointing, given the mainstream Democrats' nearly decades long insistence that we ‘vote blue no matter who,’ that the establishment seems to continually neglect to support certain candidates who emerge from primaries. Those candidates are typically young, and support the end of the dependance the Democratic party has to corporate cash. In the case of Mamdani, we have many differences, but as I would hope my party would back me should I become the Democratic nominee next June, I will support the Democratic nominee for mayor in the city which I have so much affection for. One of the main issues this illustrates is the Democratic party's aforementioned addiction to corporate cash. A lot of the reluctance to Mamdani has been couched in the ‘fear’ over his criticism of Israel. While there is certainly a segment of the population that disagree with him vehemently on the issue, we are seeing that most of the most vociferous voices against Mamdani, are politicians who are beholden to AIPAC. AIPAC is controversial for a number of reasons, and I have already pledged to never take their money. One such reason for their controversial status, is that often, while being used for advocacy of a carte blanche policy towards Israel, AIPAC is secretly used by almost exclusively far right billionaires, as a way to funnel money to candidates, for reasons other than Israel advocacy. Oftentimes, these billionaires will claim that they are ‘concerned,’ about a candidate's position on Israel, and they will funnel money into the coffers of their opposition, whether it be during a primary or general election. These candidates targeted by AIPAC are always advocates of tax increases on billionaires, expanded healthcare access for everyday Americans, and advocate for a political system where American citizens' voices can be louder than special interest cash. That is exactly why, in the wake of her recent criticism on Israel, and her history of antisemitism, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and congresspeople critical of Israel like Thomas Massie, who domestically still support the status quo, face less vitriol and financial investment in term of facilitating their ouster from Congress, than people like Andy Levin, and Jamaal Bowman. To be clear, they still face AIPAC's wrath as it pertains to Israel, but it completely pales in comparison to the level of investment used to unseat Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman last summer, two outspoken advocates for the removal of corporate cash from our politics and for, for instance, Medicare for all. As it relates to Mamdani, someone whose political skill and talent I envy, he represents a sea change in policy, from everyone who has come before him. He is, unapologetically, ‘New York first.’ We rarely see candidates whose authenticity shines through, who articulates not only the issues, but comes up with solutions, and who LISTENS to voters, rather than lecture at them. You can disagree with his policy prescriptions, but it is a breath of fresh air seeing other politicians who are committed to being public servants, and not self servants, or servants to their donors. I think he terrifies the billionaire class, and I welcome their fear, and their disgust. The richest country in the history of the world ‘cannot afford’ to facilitate a manageable life for an increasing number of its citizens, and the vultures at the very top who have been ransacking our government and looting the treasury are largely at fault. So undoubtedly, Mamdani's positions on Israel have ruffled feathers, oftentimes due to things he has never even said. He has not, however, made any statements that we haven't heard from other elected officials. Radical billionaires are simply flustered at his intention to raise the corporate tax rate, and hold businesses in New York accountable, and groups such as AIPAC, comprised almost entirely of these same radical billionaires, have conveniently latched onto the Israel issue by way of their proxies (members of Congress who take their cash and serve them dutifully), as a way of stopping Mamdani, who they fear will genuinely hold them accountable.”

Mamdani represents the coalition they fear most— more than MAGA: young, multiracial, unapologetically progressive and organized. The same energy that will elect him mayor is already inspiring a new generation of candidates and voters to demand a government that works for the many, not the few. The party insiders may sneer, stall, and sabotage but they can’t unring this bell. If the Democratic Party wants to survive, it better start listening to the people who actually make up its base— not the political hacks on their way out and not the consultants cashing checks to keep it stuck in the past. Because if they keep clinging to the politics of cowardice and compromise, neither Zohran Mamdani nor Omar Fateh will be the last insurgents to kick in the door.