Wary Democratic establishment keeping New York's Mamdani at arm's length

Axios

4 days ago

Zohran Mamdani, New York City's surprise Democratic nominee for mayor, is scrambling to woo lawmakers, donors, and the city's elite who are wary of the democratic socialist.
So far, they're mostly playing hard to get.
Why it matters: In their party's ongoing identity crisis, many Democrats have attacked or refused to endorse Mamdani to lead the nation's largest city, while others on the left have rallied around the 33-year-old political phenom.
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.
Driving the news: 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. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a fellow New Yorker.
Democratic leaders Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Chuck Schumer, both also from New York, have declined to endorse Mamdani. They've criticized his past refusal to condemn those who say "globalize the intifada" — a slogan that backs Palestinian uprisings against Israel and that some Jewish people see as antisemitic.
Mamdani also has accused Israel of conducting a "genocide" against Palestine, another reason some Democratic leaders have kept their distance from him.
Jeffries did meet with Mamdani in New York on Friday but declined to endorse him afterward.
Some progressives and democratic socialists have responded by threatening to back primary challenges against Jeffries and other Democrats.
Jeffries' team responded by calling such left-wing activists "Team Gentrification," and that the House Democratic leader's response to any such challenge would "be forceful and unrelenting," as Jeffries senior adviser André Richardson told CNN.
Zoom in: Mamdani's plans to freeze rents for stabilized apartments, increase taxes, build city-owned grocery stores and provide free child care for all children — along with his criticisms of corporations and the police — have freaked out many Democrats close to the party's political center.
To try to rally the party behind him, Mamdani is changing his rhetoric, bringing on experienced operatives, talking with the business leaders he wants to tax, and repeatedly talking about "partnership."
His recent message boils down to: I come in peace.
Mamdani said this week he'd "discourage" pro-Palestine protesters from using the term "globalize the intifada," after repeatedly saying he wasn't interested in policing people's speech, as The New York Times reported.
Mamdani also tried, with mixed success, to charm the city's business elite on Tuesday in a closed-door meeting with the Partnership for New York City — a group that includes representatives from big law firms and businesses.
Mamdani, who in the past has called to "defund the police" and is now proposing a "Department of Public Safety" separate from the police department, is now signaling he's open to keeping the current police commissioner, who's widely viewed as tough on crime.
He's also been adding operatives such as Jeffrey Lerner, the former political director of the Democratic National Committee, and political veterans in communications and other areas to add some experience to his young but passionate team.
Flashback: Mamdani's reception by the party contrasts sharply with how Democratic leaders celebrated Mayor Eric Adams four years ago, after he won the Democratic primary.
Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hosted Adams and invited him to speak before the Democratic caucus. Then-President Biden had him over to the White House.
Between the lines: 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."
What they're saying: Spokespeople for Mamdani and Jeffries did not respond to requests for comment.
State of play: New York's Democratic establishment is paralyzed in part because there now are two Democrats running as independents in the Nov. 4 general election: Adams and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost to Mamdani in the Democratic primary.
This week, Mamdani and Adams repeatedly took shots at Cuomo and his record as governor. Both see Cuomo as the biggest threat to their winning in November.
Adams, who polls now find to be deeply unpopular, wants to try to drive Cuomo out of the race to get a one-on-one match-up with Mamdani.
Bottom line: Mamdani is the front-runner in the heavily Democratic city, but some Democratic leaders are unsure he'll win — and for now, they don't want to risk aligning with him.