Mamdani Madness
Zohran Mamdani's win in New York City's mayoral race was a moment progressives across the country desperately needed. As ICE raids and SNAP cuts continue to plow over us en masse, that there could be a repudiation in the form of a millennial Muslim South Asian former rapper born in Uganda (really, Mamdani is all the things the right falsely claimed Barack Obama was: a Muslim born in Africa), was not on anyone's bingo card this January. That he quoted Eugene Debs AND KRS One in his victory speech was GOLD.
Mamdani's win was the result of a broad consensus on a powerful economic justice platform. It is s a bellwether for how politics could reflect a majority's demands for basic human dignity, if done right. Mamdani and his staff ran a model campaign, one that ought to be studied and replicated across the nation.
The Bollywood song played at the end of Mamdani's victory speech was fitting: Dhoom Machale--translating to "make some noise."
Just before he won the June 2025 primary beating Andrew Cuomo for the first time, I interviewed Los Angeles-based Kylie Sparks, one of many grassroots activists working to push the Democratic Party from the left. Sparks said:
In order for the Democratic Party to even be remotely salvaged, you have to start over. We are at a time where people are begging for progressive leftist policies like housing, like healthcare, the end of blank checks to wars, education...And the Democrats seem to just completely ignore the, the wants and desires of the American public, especially coming from the left. And I think we are at a really exciting time right now to see so many people activated or reactivated and really realizing that the only way out is through and the only way out are progressive policies and leftist policies.
And then, days after the NYC primary, I interviewed India Walton a longtime community activist who in 2021 defeated a 16-year incumbent mayor of Buffalo, New York in the Democratic primary. According to Walton,
The most unique thing and special thing about [Mamdani's] platform is that he went out into the streets of New York City after the election of Trump a second time. And when he talked to people about the things that they wanted to see out of their next mayor, or why they voted for Trump, it was bread and butter issues. It was the price of groceries, it was unaffordability in housing and in childcare... I think that one thing that Zohran has done a wonderful job at is creating this narrative that is building class solidarity, right? And we're seeing this intergenerational, multiracial working class movement that's swelling up... And I think that is only gonna continue to grow.
My extensive coverage of Mamdani's campaign includes a conversation with strategist Jay Ponti and an interview with Jagpreet Singh, a South Asian activist in New York who helped elect the new mayor.
Coming up later this week, I'll be speaking with Yashica Dutt, a South Asian journalist who will examine how Mamdani made history, as well as why the issue of caste was not as prominent in New York's election of its first ever South Asian mayor.
Meanwhile, watch my recent interview with Nolan Higdon of Disinfo Detox, analyzing last Tuesday's election:
Setting aside the Mamdani Madness of this moment, a couple other races in the US were worthy of notice:
Boston's mayor Michelle Wu, who leans progressive, is so popular, she ran unopposed and won 93% of the vote (with the rest going to write-in candidates). Her platform includes affordable housing and other basic economic justice issues. So far she has overseen a significant drop in gun violence and divested city funds from fossil fuels. Oh, and she's piloting a program of fare-free bus lines - sound familiar?
Meanwhile, Seattle's mayoral candidate Katie Wilson, who has likened herself to Mamdani and embraced the label of socialist, could win her race - as of this writing ballots are still being counted.
All in all, it was a strong week for progressive politics. But, waiting in the wings are centrist pick-me politicians such as Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris, ready to jump in and steal the thunder of Mamdani Madness to their own ends. As progressives, we concede to them at our own peril.