Latest news with #Gillen
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Amid Mamdani's Rise, Democrat in Congress Warns Party Against Him
From left: Rep. Laura Gillen, a New York Democrat, and Zohran Mamdani, state assemblyman and New York City mayoral candidate Credit - Gillen: Tom Williams—CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images; Mamdani: Madison Swart—Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images In the wake of Zohran Mamdani's surprise primary success in New York City's mayoral primary, prominent Democrats across the country have kept unusually quiet. Rep. Laura Gillen, a freshman Democrat in Congress representing part of Long Island, took a different approach: she issued a sharp, immediate rebuke. 'Socialist Zohran Mamdani is too extreme to lead New York City,' Gillen said in a statement released Wednesday morning. 'His entire campaign has been built on unachievable promises and higher taxes, which is the last thing New York needs.' She went on to accuse Mamdani of promoting 'a deeply disturbing pattern of unacceptable antisemitic comments,' referencing his refusal during the campaign to denounce the slogan 'globalize the intifada,' and his comparison of it to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. 'He is the absolute wrong choice for New York,' she concluded, making her the first Democrat in Congress to publicly oppose Mamdani's candidacy. It was a striking move from a Democrat whose district borders the city where Mamdani just toppled former Governor Andrew Cuomo, a party heavyweight with near-universal name recognition. But Gillen's district—NY-4, a swing seat anchored in Nassau County on Long Island—is far from the progressive epicenter of New York City. It is among the wealthiest districts in the country, home to a large Jewish population and a substantial number of moderate and independent voters. Gillen flipped the district in 2024, and her political survival may depend on maintaining daylight between herself and the party's leftmost edge. In an interview with TIME on Thursday, Gillen doubled down on her criticism, arguing that Mamdani's vision of fare-free public transit, rent freezes, city-run grocery stores, and steeper taxes on the wealthy is not just ideologically extreme, but structurally unsound. 'Saying things like 'we're going to give away free everything' is not realistic, and it's not the direction the Democratic Party should go in,' she says. 'They should find ways to make people's lives affordable in tangible ways, and say we will reach across the aisle to do that.' Read More: Zohran Mamdani's Success Sparks a Democratic Reckoning—and a GOP Attack Plan Gillen dismissed the notion that Mamdani's victory signaled a larger ideological shift for the party. 'This is hardly a mandate or some grand proclamation about where Democrats are,' she said, pointing out that fewer than one in three of the city's registered Democrats turned out in the primary. Mamdani, a 33-year-old assemblyman and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, declared victory in the party's primary for mayor of New York City early Wednesday. His win was powered by a coalition of younger voters, left-leaning activists, and progressive organizations—the same political base that helped launch the careers of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive candidates over the past decade. Mamdani told MSNBC a day after the primary that his populist campaign could be deployed anywhere: 'I think ultimately this is a campaign about inequality, and you don't have to live in the most expensive city in the country to have experienced that inequality, because it's a national issue,' he said. Read more: Meet Zohran Mamdani's Wife, an Illustrator He Met on Hinge But his win has sparked a wave of GOP attacks and triggered a fresh round of soul-searching among Democrats. Prominent Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have already moved to frame Mamdani as the 'new face' of the Democratic Party ahead of the 2026 midterms. 'I'm sure the Republicans would like to say that all Democrats are socialists,' Gillen says. 'But in fact, I think the people in my district know quite clearly that I am not a socialist. I am a Democrat.' Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican and potential gubernatorial candidate, echoed that strategy in an interview with TIME on Wednesday, warning that Democrats now face a brutal political dilemma. 'If they own [Mamdani's views], voters will not take kindly to them. If they disavow them, their base will revolt,' he said. Gillen said she has received some pushback on social media since issuing her statement, but she insisted that other Democrats share her view privately. The hesitation among Democrats may reflect the precarious balancing act they face: while Mamdani's rise represents the kind of base enthusiasm many Democrats feel the party sorely lacked in 2024, it also poses a threat in more moderate or conservative-leaning districts that are essential to retaking the House. Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, warned that Democrats may already be nearing the limits of how far left they can lean without alienating the broader electorate. 'They reached it during Biden,' Sabato says. 'And they certainly reach it if they try and parallel what Bernie or AOC are doing—or now Mamdani. That doesn't fit most districts. It doesn't fit most states.' But he noted that Democrats would be wise to channel some of the energy that figures like Mamdani inspire—not by adopting their full platforms, but by embracing elements of economic populism that can boost turnout and reconnect with disengaged voters. Gillen, however, believes the party's future lies in reclaiming the political center. 'The people in the middle who are willing to work together are the people who should be leading this nation,' she says. 'The majority of this country is in the middle—not on the fringes to the left, and not on the fringes to the right.' Whether others in the party will follow her lead remains unclear. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer both congratulated Mamdani after his win, but stopped short of offering endorsements. For now, most of the party's national leadership appears content to stay silent—hoping perhaps that Mamdani will moderate, or that the issue will fade before it forces an internal confrontation. Gillen is not waiting. In a party still reeling from its 2024 losses and facing existential questions about its identity, she's chosen to draw a line. Write to Nik Popli at
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
NY Dem Reps. Tom Suozzi, Laura Gillen distance themselves from lefty NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani: ‘We're not socialists'
Democrats in New York's battleground suburbs are distancing themselves from New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani and his lefty socialist policies. Long Island members of Congress appeared particularly concerned about Republicans attempting to link them to Mamdani — the Democratic candidate for mayor — in the 2026 midterm elections. 'We are not socialists,' Rep. Laura Gillen, who represents Nassau County's 4th District, said in an interview Wednesday night on News Nation. Advertisement 3 Long Island Democrats are separating themselves from mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock '[Mamdani] ran a campaign based on a bunch of promises — free everything — without any real economic plan to pay for it., other than raising taxes,' she said. Rep. Tom Suozzi, who endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary and previously backed Mayor Eric Adams, said in a terse statement that he also was not on board with Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman. Advertisement 'I had serious concerns about Assemblyman Mamdani before [the primary], and that is one of the reasons I endorsed his opponent. Those concerns remain,' Suozzi said in a statement. Gillen opposed Mamdani's plan to raise taxes on the top 1% city earners and on businesses to generate $9 billion for his proposals. The congresswoman slammed the plan as impractical because it requires the approval of the governor and the state legislature — and argued hiking taxes would do more harm than good. 'New York City is the economic engine that drives our state and we need to make sure New York City thrives,' Gillen said. Advertisement Follow The Post's coverage of the NYC mayoral race 'Zohran Mamdani's socialist, defund the police platform is wrong for New York City,' she added. Both Gillen and Suozzi won tight races in their House elections last year. Their statements came as the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee was doing cartwheels about having a potential Democratic Socialists of America-affiliated mayor — hoping to use it to use against Dems in battleground districts where socialism is unpopular, or to exploit divisions within the Democratic Party on Mamdani. Advertisement 3 Rep. Laura Gillen told News Nation, 'We are not socialists,' in a Wednesday night interview with the network. AP 'Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen's insubordination is further proof that Democrats have no plan, no message, and no leader,' said NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O'Toole. 'Will [House Minority Leader] Hakeem Jeffries let them walk all over him, or will Suozzi and Gillen face consequences for defying their boss?' Jeffries congratulated Mamdani on his victory, as did Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Both New York Democrats said they would meet with them, but stopped short of an endorsement. Meanwhile, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a pro-Israel Democrat, slammed Mamdani for not condemning the phrase 'globalize the intifada.' Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! Gillibrand said she called Mamdani to congratulate him after he bested Cuomo in Tuesday's primary, but raised issues of concern, and did not endorse him as the Democratic nominee. 'I vote in Albany,' the Democratic senator said. Advertisement During a WNYC interview on Thursday, Gillibrand said she expressed concerns directly to Mamdani about his statements regarding Israel and pubic safety. 3 Rep. Tom Suozzi is also against Mamdani, having endorsed ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo for mayor of New York City. Ron Sachs – CNP for NY Post She declined to discuss specifics until a caller later asked her about Mamdani's anti-Israel position, and then she went off on his refusal to condemn the 'globalize the intifada' rallying cry. 'New York constituents I talked to are alarmed. They are alarmed by past public statements. They are alarmed about past public positions, referring to global jihad,' Gillibrand told the caller and host Brian Lehrer. Advertisement 'This is a very serious issue because people who glorify the slaughter of Jews create fear in our communities,' she said. 'The global intifada is a statement that means destroy Israel and kill all the Jews.' Gillibrand said Mamdani assured her he would protect Jews and all residents of New York City, if elected. Advertisement President Trump, for his part, wasted no time making Mamdani a bogeyman for the Republican Party, calling him a '100% communist lunatic.' 'We've had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous,' he wrote Wednesday on TruthSocial.
Time Magazine
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Amid Mamdani's Rise, Democrat in Congress Warns Party Against Him
In the wake of Zohran Mamdani's surprise primary success in New York City's mayoral primary, prominent Democrats across the country have kept unusually quiet. Rep. Laura Gillen, a freshman Democrat in Congress representing part of Long Island, took a different approach: she issued a sharp, immediate rebuke. 'Socialist Zohran Mamdani is too extreme to lead New York City,' Gillen said in a statement released Wednesday morning. 'His entire campaign has been built on unachievable promises and higher taxes, which is the last thing New York needs.' She went on to accuse Mamdani of promoting 'a deeply disturbing pattern of unacceptable antisemitic comments,' referencing his refusal during the campaign to denounce the slogan 'globalize the intifada,' and his comparison of it to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. 'He is the absolute wrong choice for New York,' she concluded, making her the first Democrat in Congress to publicly oppose Mamdani's candidacy. It was a striking move from a Democrat whose district borders the city where Mamdani just toppled former Governor Andrew Cuomo, a party heavyweight with near-universal name recognition. But Gillen's district—NY-4, a swing seat anchored in Nassau County on Long Island—is far from the progressive epicenter of New York City. It is among the wealthiest districts in the country, home to a large Jewish population and a substantial number of moderate and independent voters. Gillen flipped the district in 2024, and her political survival may depend on maintaining daylight between herself and the party's leftmost edge. In an interview with TIME on Thursday, Gillen doubled down on her criticism, arguing that Mamdani's vision of fare-free public transit, rent freezes, city-run grocery stores, and steeper taxes on the wealthy is not just ideologically extreme, but structurally unsound. 'Saying things like 'we're going to give away free everything' is not realistic, and it's not the direction the Democratic Party should go in,' she says. 'They should find ways to make people's lives affordable in tangible ways, and say we will reach across the aisle to do that.' Read More: Zohran Mamdani's Success Sparks a Democratic Reckoning—and a GOP Attack Plan Gillen dismissed the notion that Mamdani's victory signaled a larger ideological shift for the party. 'This is hardly a mandate or some grand proclamation about where Democrats are,' she said, pointing out that fewer than one in three of the city's registered Democrats turned out in the primary. Mamdani, a 33-year-old assemblyman and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, declared victory in the party's primary for mayor of New York City early Wednesday. His win was powered by a coalition of younger voters, left-leaning activists, and progressive organizations—the same political base that helped launch the careers of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive candidates over the past decade. Mamdani told MSNBC a day after the primary that his populist campaign could be deployed anywhere: 'I think ultimately this is a campaign about inequality, and you don't have to live in the most expensive city in the country to have experienced that inequality, because it's a national issue,' he said. But his win has sparked a wave of GOP attacks and triggered a fresh round of soul-searching among Democrats. Prominent Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have already moved to frame Mamdani as the 'new face' of the Democratic Party ahead of the 2026 midterms. 'I'm sure the Republicans would like to say that all Democrats are socialists,' Gillen says. 'But in fact, I think the people in my district know quite clearly that I am not a socialist. I am a Democrat.' Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican and potential gubernatorial candidate, echoed that strategy in an interview with TIME on Wednesday, warning that Democrats now face a brutal political dilemma. 'If they own [Mamdani's views], voters will not take kindly to them. If they disavow them, their base will revolt,' he said. Gillen said she has received some pushback on social media since issuing her statement, but she insisted that other Democrats share her view privately. The hesitation among Democrats may reflect the precarious balancing act they face: while Mamdani's rise represents the kind of base enthusiasm many Democrats feel the party sorely lacked in 2024, it also poses a threat in more moderate or conservative-leaning districts that are essential to retaking the House. Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, warned that Democrats may already be nearing the limits of how far left they can lean without alienating the broader electorate. 'They reached it during Biden,' Sabato says. 'And they certainly reach it if they try and parallel what Bernie or AOC are doing—or now Mamdani. That doesn't fit most districts. It doesn't fit most states.' But he noted that Democrats would be wise to channel some of the energy that figures like Mamdani inspire—not by adopting their full platforms, but by embracing elements of economic populism that can boost turnout and reconnect with disengaged voters. Gillen, however, believes the party's future lies in reclaiming the political center. 'The people in the middle who are willing to work together are the people who should be leading this nation,' she says. 'The majority of this country is in the middle—not on the fringes to the left, and not on the fringes to the right.' Whether others in the party will follow her lead remains unclear. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer both congratulated Mamdani after his win, but stopped short of offering endorsements. For now, most of the party's national leadership appears content to stay silent—hoping perhaps that Mamdani will moderate, or that the issue will fade before it forces an internal confrontation. Gillen is not waiting. In a party still reeling from its 2024 losses and facing existential questions about its identity, she's chosen to draw a line.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
New York Democrat says mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani 'too extreme to lead'
A moderate House Democrat from New York is criticizing New York City's presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. "Socialist Zohran Mamdani is too extreme to lead New York City. His entire campaign has been built on unachievable promises and higher taxes, which is the last thing New York needs," Rep. Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., said in a statement Wednesday. "Beyond that, Mr. Mamdani has called to defund the police and has demonstrated a deeply disturbing pattern of unacceptable antisemitic comments, which stoke hate at a time when antisemitism is skyrocketing. He is the absolute wrong choice for New York." It's the first pushback from a Democratic official to Mamdani's stunning victory in the first round of New York City's ranked choice voting primary tally. Mamdani far outpaced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the first round, winning 43.5% of the vote compared to Cuomo's 36.4%. Cuomo announced he would bow out of the primary but left it an open question whether he would join current New York City Mayor Eric Adams in running as an independent in the race. The former governor, whose own issues include accusations of sexual harassment that derailed his time in Albany, told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo that he is not ruling out running again in November. Gillen is a Long Island Democrat who unseated former Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, R-N.Y., in the 2024 elections. She's been known to break from her own party on issues like law enforcement and illegal immigration during her brief time in Congress so far. Gillen is also breaking from Democratic leaders in her criticism of Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-proclaimed democratic socialist whose platform includes city-owned and operated grocery stores. Both House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in public statements on Wednesday that they had spoken to Mamdani since his victory. "He ran an impressive campaign that connected with New Yorkers about affordability, fairness, & opportunity," Schumer said. Jeffries' statement said, "Assemblyman Mamdani ran a strong campaign that relentlessly focused on the economy and bringing down the high cost of living in New York City." Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani's campaign for comment on Gillen's criticism.
New York Post
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- New York Post
Feds promise to clean up Long Island's deadly traffic nightmare after congresswoman sounds alarm on 10 years of staggering crashes
Every seven minutes on Long Island can be a matter of life or death. After a decade of registering some of the deadliest roads across the US, the feds say they're now 'committed' to tackling Long Island's traffic crisis — following pressure from Rep. Laura Gillen and years of staggering crash stats. 5 After a decade of registering some of the deadliest roads across the US, the feds say they're now 'committed' to tackling Long Island's traffic crisis. Kyle Mazza/Shutterstock Advertisement US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, in a letter to Gillen, confirmed his agency will coordinate with state transportation officials to study the surge of accidents on the Island and find ways to reduce the alarming death toll for motorists. 'These resources will be used to better understand and reduce traffic crashes on Long Island,' Duffy wrote in May. 5 Duffy confirmed his agency will coordinate with state transportation officials to study the surge of accidents on the Island and find ways to reduce the alarming death toll. Getty Images Advertisement The Long Island congresswoman penned a letter to Duffy back in March urging the US Department of Transportation to probe the issue. Gillen, in her letter, pointed to a Newsday investigation that found a serious car crash occurs every seven minutes on Long Island's 118 miles of roadway — killing more than 2,100 (roughly 210 annually) and seriously injuring more than 16,000 (about 1,600 per year) others in both Nassau and Suffolk counties from 2014 to 2023. 5 Gillen pointed to a Newsday investigation that found a serious car crash occurs every seven minutes on Long Island's 118 miles of roadway. Kyle Mazza/Shutterstock 'The Department remains committed to eliminating fatal crashes and working with you to achieve that goal,' Duffy wrote in response. Advertisement While the feds already coordinate with state agencies to flag high-crash locations and dole out safety grants, Duffy said his agency will now work even closer with state DOT and the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee on Long Island. The state DOT, however, wouldn't confirm whether it had spoken with federal transportation officials — only saying it 'welcomes continued support from partners across government.' 5 'The Department remains committed to eliminating fatal crashes and working with you to achieve that goal,' Duffy wrote in response. Getty Images Even though the federal government provides funding and sets certain traffic safety standards for states, Long Island's roads are owned and maintained by a patchwork of state and local agencies — creating confusion when it comes to accountability. Advertisement But Gillen, a Democrat, charged that's no excuse for inaction. 'The deadly surge in traffic fatalities over the past decade demands our swift federal attention and intervention,' she wrote. 'We can and must do much more.' 5 Long Island's roads are owned and maintained by a patchwork of state and local agencies. Obtained by NY Post The lawmaker encouraged towns, villages and counties across Long Island to apply for grants under the Safe Streets and Roads for All program — a federal initiative that awards up to $25 million for roadway design upgrades and other safety efforts. The deadline to apply is June 26. Duffy noted that Long Island is already getting $1.2 million in federal funding this year from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, earmarked for traffic enforcement, local safety programs and resources for medical examiners. Meanwhile, state transportation officials said there are also several safety projects either underway or recently completed, including a $7 million overhaul of intersections in Valley Stream and Huntington as well as a $27 million redesign of Exit 53 on the Long Island Expressway.
