Latest news with #MamdaniVictory
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mamdani's political earthquake rocks Democrats, dividing party on path forward
For Republicans, the reaction to democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's stunning victory this week in New York City's Democratic Party primary for mayor was simple. They attacked the Ugandan-born 33-year-old state assemblyman from Queens, who took a major step toward becoming the first Muslim mayor of the nation's most populous city, as an extremist and anchored him to Democrats across the country ahead of next year's midterm elections. The attacks stretched from down ballot on the campaign trail all the way up to the White House, with President Donald Trump claiming that Mamdani was "a 100% Communist Lunatic." Republicans Use Mamdani Bombshell Victory Over Cuomo As Ammunition To Blast Democrats As Extremists For Democrats, it's more complicated. Mamdani shocked the political world, topping former three-term Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the rest of the 11-candidate field in the Democratic mayoral primary. Cuomo, who resigned from office in 2021 amid multiple scandals, was aiming for a political comeback. Read On The Fox News App What Mamdani's Stunning Primary Victory Means For Democrats Nationwide Once a longshot, Mamdani closed the gap with frontrunner Cuomo during the final stretch of the primary race thanks to an energetic campaign that focused in great part on New York City's high cost of living. Endorsements from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive rock star and New York City's most prominent leader on the left, and by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the progressive champion and two-time Democratic presidential runner-up nominee, helped Mamdani consolidate support on the left. And Mamdani, thanks in part to the efforts of a massive grassroots army of volunteers and his campaign's creative use of social media, rode a wave of support from younger and progressive voters to catapult himself into first place. New York City's mayoral primary campaign played out as the Democratic Party works to escape from the political wilderness after last year's elections, when the party lost control of the White House and the Senate majority and failed to win back control of the House from the GOP. It also came as the party works to resist Trump's sweeping and controversial second-term agenda. And Mamdani's victory adds more fuel to the longstanding showdowns in the Democratic Party, between the progressive left and the more moderate establishment and centrists, and, to a degree – between young versus old. Cuomo Staying In Nyc Mayoral Race, For Now: Sources Veteran Democratic strategist Lauren Hitt, who in the mayoral race advised a super PAC opposing Cuomo, told Fox News that Mamdani's victory was a "clear rejection of the old guard." And Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Stephanie Taylor told Fox News that Mamdani's "victory shows that a new direction for the Democratic Party is possible — a future of dynamic candidates who appeal to young and working-class voters with a platform that fights for people, not corporations," Taylor said. Pointing to endorsements of Cuomo earlier this month by former President Bill Clinton and former three-term New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, she charged that "the old guard establishment of the Democratic Party, fueled by billionaires, did everything they could to defeat Mamdani – and they failed. They continue being wrong about everything, and they need to get out of the way and let a new generation lead." Matt Bennett, executive vice president for the moderate Democrat-aligned group the Third Way, acknowledged that Mamdani "focused on affordability," which he said is "great." Bennett added Mamdani is "young, charismatic, a great communicator. All that is great. We want to see that." But Bennett told Fox News "the problem is he has the wrong prescription." On the primary campaign trail, Mamdani proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City's vast bus system, making City University of New York "tuition-free," freezing rents on municipal housing, offering "free childcare" for children up to age 5 and setting up government-run grocery stores. And in a CNN interview Thursday night, he said, "I have many critiques of capitalism. … There must be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children in this country." Bennett noted that "Republicans are already weaponizing" Mamdani's primary victory to take aim "against other Democrats." Veteran Republican strategist Colin Reed told Fox News Mamdani's win is "a messaging nightmare that's going to unfold in real time from now until the midterms." But Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida doesn't think what happened in heavily blue New York City will resonate in crucial swing districts, like his seat. "I think the idea that you can extrapolate what happened there and roll that out to 49 other states, to the suburbs, the politics are very different," Moskowitz told reporters on Capitol Hill this week. And Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York, who represents a suburban swing district that also includes a sliver of New York City, took to social media to say he "had serious concerns about Assemblyman Mamdani" before the primary. "Those concerns remain," Suozzi said. Fox News' Deirdre Heavey contributed to this article source: Mamdani's political earthquake rocks Democrats, dividing party on path forward
Fast Company
26-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
‘It's officially hot commie summer': Wall Street melts down on social media over Zohran Mamdani's NYC primary win
As Zohran Mamdani declared victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday night, one had to wonder: Has anyone checked on the finance bros? On X, the Wall Street meltdown was already well underway. 'It appears that NYC is electing to commit suicide by Mayor,' wrote Jim Bianco, president of Bianco Research. 'It's officially hot commie summer,' added Dan Loeb, CEO of hedge fund Third Point and longtime Cuomo backer. Loeb wasn't alone. Billionaires like Michael Bloomberg and Bill Ackman had backed Andrew Cuomo, still seen as the frontrunner even in the race's final days. 'Bill Ackman drafting his thoughts on Mamdani rn,' one post joked, alongside an image of an essay-length text being written. 'Another great part of Mamdani's victory is that it means Michael Bloomberg pretty much lit over $8 million on fire for no reason lol,' another X user wrote. The finance industry's reaction isn't surprising. A Mamdani win in November's general election could bring what Wall Street dreads most: tax hikes and tighter regulations threatening corporate and investment interests—fueling the familiar cry of a wealthy exodus. 'Wealthy New Yorkers moving to Miami if Zohran wins,' one Instagram meme joked. Let's not forget the finance bro who did vote for Mamdani (starter pack includes a Carhartt beanie and a copy of The Communist Manifesto). 'NYC girls with trust funds were calling him 'Zaddy Zohran' and you thought he was going to lose?' one user posted on X. One post, acknowledging defeat, featured an AI-generated image of fleece-clad finance bros scanning groceries at a city-run market: 'Well boys, onto the new bullpen.' Another post on X perfectly summed up the general mood: 'Investment bankers reacting to NYC nominating a socialist for Mayor.' The accompanying caption? 'we'd all be fine with a lot less, right?' The extended deadline for Fast Company's Next Big Things in Tech Awards is this Friday, June 27, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
The Independent
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Washington Democrats don't know whether to panic or surrender to left-wing Mamdani's playbook after NYC race shocker
Whatever you do, don't extrapolate this result! Democrats in Washington and the media were falling over each other on Wednesday and Thursday to insist that the party as a whole should not follow the democratic socialist bent of Zohran Mamdani after the 33-year-old pulled off an upset victory in the New York mayoral primary. Defying the polls, Mamdani beat former governor Andrew Cuomo in the first round of voting — even as Cuomo's camp went into the day boasting of being ahead. Mamdani, they argue, does not provide a policy mold for other Democrats to fit themselves into, given New York's status as a deep-blue stronghold where a Republican is largely assumed to have no shot of winning in November. They're correct about the electorate itself not being representative of the country as a whole. But the panic among a certain generation of Democrats, especially in the days leading up to Mamdani's victory, is indicative of a party elite with some glaring vulnerabilities that were once again laid bare on Tuesday. Eleven months after former President Joe Biden stepped down from his re-election bid and forced his party into an accelerated catch-up sprint with around 100 days to go, the party's centrist establishment once again pinned all of their hopes (and cash) on an unpopular, aging statesman beset by ethical concerns. Guess what happened next? Not even a massive onslaught of Michael Bloomberg's wealth could save Cuomo, who remained well behind Mamdani throughout the night as votes were counted. None of the multitude of Democrats who once called on Cuomo to resign over sexual misconduct allegations could give a clear explanation for their change of heart — or why they weren't backing one of Mamdani's numerous other rivals. Axios's Alex Thompson, speaking on After Party with Emily Jashinsky, described the mindset of party leadership, whom he said told voters: 'This is the best candidate. Eat your vegetables.' For the second time in as many years, it didn't work. With a new reality setting in, the party's caucuses in Washington are split over how to view Mamdani, who now is very likely to become one of the most prominent Democratic politicians in the country. Progressives, of course, are openly embracing him. A few members of the party's establishment have come around as well, like Rep. Jerry Nadler, who endorsed him on Thursday. Others have not. Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, both from New York and the two highest-ranking Democrats on the hill, have not made official endorsements of Mamdani's campaign for the general election (yet). Both are facing calls from prominent progressives to be challenged in their own primaries next year. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat in a front line district in the state, openly tweeted his reservations about the state assemblyman after his victory. The coverage of the race clearly plays a role here. Even as Mamdani himself was laser-focused on the issue of affordability in New York City, his association with the Democratic Socialists of America and his opposition to Israel's war in Gaza received an intense focus from a controversy-hungry mainstream political press. Even Mamdani's joint interview with cross-endorser Brad Lander on Stephen Colbert's Late Show was dominated by talk about Israel and Palestine. Front-line Democrats still fear any association with their party's far-left, whom they mainly view as a punching bag in tough election years. And party leaders in Washington still feel they have to cater to those representatives and senators, whose fates are so closely tied to the party's ability to fundraise in future cycles. A larger coalition, however, is taking some non-controversial lessons from Mamdani's victory — or, at least, lessons that would be non-controversial anywhere besides the Democratic Party. Voters, they argue, were certain to back the younger candidate less tied to the party's establishment in a year when more and more voters (especially millennials, who were a leading part of Mamdani's voter coalition) have lost faith in the party's establishment to lead themselves, let alone anyone else. They were also less likely to pick a candidate with such obvious baggage as Cuomo under the argument that a former governor who resigned in disgrace under a cloud of allegations was somehow the stronger pick come November. Especially when the city's voters were already weary of the evolving scandal around Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped out of the Democratic primary while under a corruption probe. Progressives and moderates cease their agreement after this point. The party's centrists will argue that the successful characteristics of Mamdani's appeal can be replicated in a candidate outside of the party's left wing. Progressives disagree, claiming that the kind of personal connection to voters only exists among more populist candidates, especially younger ones. They also point to Mamdani's massive army of volunteers, which they argue is directly tied to lefty organizations like DSA. And they argue that Cuomo, like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris before him, couldn't articulate a vision for their governance at all If nothing else, Tuesday's election results in New York sent one clear message to party leaders. Their efforts to shut out the progressive wing by throwing big-name endorsements and the crushing weight of big donor money behind weak candidates who have seen too many election cycles will increasingly be met with failure, unless the party can actually convince voters that the center-left has an exciting bench of charismatic younger leaders to pick up the torch.
CNA
26-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Upstart socialist Zohran Mamdani stuns former governor in NYC mayoral primary
NEW YORK: Young self-declared socialist Zohran Mamdani was on the cusp of a stunning victory on Wednesday (Jun 25) in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary - pummelling his scandal-scarred establishment rival in a race seen as a fight for the future of the Democratic Party. Results were not yet final, but Mamdani - who is just 33 and would become the city's first Muslim mayor - had such a commanding lead that his biggest rival, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, conceded defeat overnight. Mamdani's success was seen as a rebuke to Democratic centrists who backed the powerful Cuomo, as the party flails nationally in search of a way to counter Republican President Donald Trump's hard-right movement. The Ugandan-born state assemblyman was behind Cuomo in polls until near the end, surging on a message of lower rents, free daycare and other populist ideas in the notoriously expensive metropolis. Commenting on the primary result in his former hometown, Trump lashed out at Mamdani as "a 100 per cent Communist Lunatic", adding that Democrats had "crossed the line" by choosing him. The top two Democrats in Congress, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries - both from New York - separately applauded Mamdani's victory, but did not explicitly endorse him. "Tonight we made history," Mamdani said in a victory speech to supporters. On Wednesday he suggested his campaign and shock upset could serve as a model for the future for Democrats. "It has been tempting, I think, for some to claim as if the party has gone too left, when in fact what has occurred for far too long is the abandonment of the same working-class voters who then abandoned this party," he told public radio WNNY. Cuomo, a 67-year-old political veteran vying to rebound from a sexual harassment scandal, said he called his rival to concede. Mamdani had taken 43 per cent of the vote with 95 per cent of ballots counted, according to city officials. Cuomo was at around 36 per cent and appeared to have no chance to catch his rival. However, the contest is ranked-choice, with voters asked to select five candidates in order of preference. When no candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the vote outright, election officials start the time-consuming process of eliminating the lowest-ranking candidates and retabulating. For political scientist Lincoln Mitchell, the vote was "a clear referendum on the future of the Democratic Party". PRIME TRUMP TARGET? Cuomo had big money and near universal name recognition in the city, as a former governor and son of another governor. However, he was weighed down by having quit in disgrace four years ago after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment. He was also accused of mismanaging the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, Mamdani's success was stunning. The son of Indian-origin immigrants, he is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America party - the kind of niche, leftist affiliation that many Democratic leaders believe their party needs to shed. The fact Mamdani speaks out for Palestinians and has accused Israel of "genocide" also makes him a prime target for Trump. His supporters include two favorite Trump foils - fiery leftist Senator Bernie Sanders and progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "Billionaires and lobbyists poured millions against you and our public finance system. And you won," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X. BIG IDEAS, LOW EXPERIENCE Currently a New York state assemblyman representing the borough of Queens, Mamdani's eye-catching policy proposals include freezing rent for many New Yorkers, free bus service, and universal childcare. In a city where a three-bedroom apartment can easily cost US$6,000 a month, his message struck a chord. Voter Eamon Harkin, 48, said prices were his "number one issue". "What's at stake is primarily the affordability of New York," he said.
CNN
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Mamdani's election night coalition: A party with Kal Penn, Ella Emhoff, hundreds of passionate and sweaty supporters
The moment Andrew Cuomo said he had called Zohran Mamdani to concede the race, Kal Penn stopped mid-sentence. The actor and activist is also a family friend who has known Mamdani since he was 14, and he was speechless. The crowd at Mamdani's Election Night party wasn't. The shot of Cuomo waving goodbye as he left the stage had everyone in the room screaming as loud as they could — in disbelief, in victory, in schadenfreude. Cuomo, a 67-year-old titan of state and local politics, had just conceded the Democratic primary for New York City mayor to Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist running his first major campaign. Mamdani is poised to win the primary pending ranked-choice vote allocation. There were many race-specific factors that made an upset possible: Cuomo is still reviled by many progressives four years after his resignation as governor, and for all his pining for redemption, Cuomo took Tuesday so much for granted that he didn't even campaign on the final day beyond casting a vote for himself. But a look inside Mamdani's sweat-soaked outdoor party on the roof deck of a craft brewery offered hints of the Democratic Party's direction as it works to regroup after President Donald Trump's second victory. Mamdani supporters mingled for hours near a waiting podium topped by a hand-painted 'Afford to Live & Afford to Dream' banner, complete with a custom-inked 'paid for by zohranfornyc' at the bottom. In the crowd were well-known Cuomo enemies like Cynthia Nixon, the 'Sex and the City' actress who ran against him in the 2018 Democratic primary for governor. The then-governor touted his large win as confirmation that New Yorkers agreed with him more than the left wing of the party. On Tuesday, Nixon walked in with her wife and immediately was grabbing other supporters in deep, long hugs. 'What are we going to do when we don't have Cuomo to fight?' one joked to her. Nixon told CNN the feeling of watching this win was overwhelming. 'I have never simultaneously been so excited for anyone, and vote against anyone,' Nixon said. 'Usually it's one or the other, but this was like a meeting of heaven and hell.' Soon Nixon was in a tight circle with Chi Ossé, a queer city councilman elected from Brooklyn four years ago at age 23, who has been busting through city politics with viral videos of his own and who was an early and avid Mamdani backer, as well as Ella Emhoff, the artist stepdaughter of former Vice President Kamala Harris who has become a Brooklyn fixture. Emhoff had a blue-and-yellow Mamdani bandana tied in her hair above her round glasses. Mamdani's primary night party, just like his whole campaign, did not necessarily anticipate the candidate would end up doing this well. There wasn't enough space, enough water or enough air conditioning. It was in a spot usually for beers with a backdrop of the Manhattan skyline in the rapidly gentrifying area of Long Island City, Queens. The next big event being advertised there is a candle-making class this weekend. Mamdani's mostly young staffers were still rushing to get the venue set up half an hour after the polls closed but that didn't matter much as the results became clear and politicians across the city started packing in. Some told CNN that they hadn't been Mamdani supporters initially and hadn't even ranked him first on their ballots. Brad Lander, the city comptroller who had been the race's early progressive favorite but couldn't compete with Mamdani's charisma and eventually became his cross-endorsing validator, arrived to the second-biggest cheers of the night and responded with an awkward 'raise the roof' motion. Afterward, speaking to CNN, Lander tried to explain the excitement for Mamdani. 'I don't think the line is so much between progressives and moderates, it's between fighters and fakers,' Lander said. 'What Zohran is showing is that it's worth putting up big bold ideas for change, standing up and fighting for them, and that's pretty hopeful. Yes, he's a democratic socialist, but he had a bold vision for the future of the city and that excited people.' By the time Mamdani was ready to take the stage, former Rep. Jamaal Bowman had grabbed Penn in a bear hug so big he lifted the actor off the ground. David Hogg, whose brief time as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee blew up earlier this month over his pushing of younger challengers to incumbents, found a spot to the side of the rooftop, pleased that his PAC had endorsed Mamdani last week in the primary and that he didn't have to clear it through the party structure. Mamdani's campaign manager, Elle Bisgaard-Church, started her introductory speech by thanking the Democratic Socialists of America, with the crowd chanting 'DSA! DSA!' The campaign, she said, 'has been run by the left and organized to win.' New York Rep. Nydia Velázquez, who was one of Mamdani's early endorsers, told the crowd the 'campaign has shocked the world — but everyone in this room knew we were going to do it.' Left unmentioned were the many people in the room who just a few weeks before had been resigned to a Cuomo win, and just a few hours before had been bracing for a rocky few days of ranked-choice tabulation and legal challenges. Some supporters were also already telling CNN that they believe Mamdani's campaign must quickly get even more ambitious and develop a stronger management structure as he goes before a citywide electorate that in November will choose between Mamdani, current Mayor Eric Adams, locally famous Republican Curtis Sliwa, an independent candidate Jim Walden and possibly Cuomo if he decides to keep running on the separate ballot line he already secured. 'We have to build out the tent, and they're prepared to do that – but it needs to be in a more aggressive way,' said Murad Awawdeh, the president of the New York Immigration Coalition, who said he believes Mamdani's 40,000 volunteers could have hit millions more voters if organized differently. 'The campaign needs to think about that (as) they continue moving forward in hitting the ground running as if we're still at the same level as yesterday.' Bowman told New York State Rep. Khaleel Anderson that he figured moneyed interests in the city 'will do anything' to stop Mamdani, even spending $100 million and try to recruit someone like Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson as a candidate. (There's no evidence that the Rock is running.) In an interview on the streets of Brooklyn last month, Mamdani told CNN that the proof he is ready to run a city of 8 million with a $112 billion budget is the campaign he put together. At the microphone, Mamdani spoke about his campaign as a model for the Democratic Party and the New York City he wants to lead as a model for the country. Outside taking pictures, he had only one word for how it felt to win the primary outright: 'Incredible,' he told CNN. 'But I'm excited to meet every single voter now.'
