One Mayoral Race Might Ignite a Sleeping Force on the Left

The biggest socialist group in the U.S. is setting the stage to help one of its supporters become the next mayor of New York City as part of an ongoing struggle over the direction of the Democratic Party among different generations.

Democrat Zohran Mamdani from New York State, who represents a congressional district, is currently performing better in polls than most of the moderate candidates. candidates In his party’s Mayoral primary contest—and securing the highest funds—with support from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), he emerged as a frontrunner. Analysts informed the Daily Caller News Foundation that this election might influence progressive politics nationwide by rejuvenating DSA-backed aspirants who have faced declining popularity during the last four years.

"I believe that the DSA candidate definitely has what it takes to win," said Chris Talgo, a research fellow at the conservative Heartland Institute, to the DCNF.

Talgo co-authored a report As the surge of far-left movements gained traction in 2024, data revealed that 94% of contenders backed by the DSA along with two additional socialist groups emerged victorious, achieving an average lead of 49 percentage points. Talgo noted that New York City’s mayoral contest would serve as a "litmus test" for the Democratic Party's upcoming political direction.

Will they move closer to the center, or will they lean further to the left?" Talgo stated to the DCNF. "These types of races should provide us with an intriguing insight into that.

"If Mamdani were elected as mayor, it could dramatically elevate the importance of socialist politics, likely inversely proportional to how beneficial it might be for the future of New York City should his policies be put into practice," said Seth Barron, an author and conservative commentator at the DCNF. Barron focuses mainly on covering New York City’s political scene and cultural developments.

To see the country's largest city led by someone who openly supports extreme redistribution of wealth, defunding The apprehension of individuals by law enforcement, including Israeli citizens being charged with 'war crimes,' highlights that in certain progressive urban areas and states, the outlook for socialism appears promising," Barron stated.

Mamdani polled at 22% for the June primary lagging behind ex-Democratic Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo’s 45%, as per a Honan Strategy Group poll carried out in April. The DSA endorsed In October, Mamdani saw an increase of 13 percentage points in his polling numbers from January to April.

Mamdani and Cuomo's campaigns did not reply despite several attempts to seek their input.

If Mamdani emerges victorious in the primary, he will have to contend with New York City Mayor Eric Adams as his opponent. running for reelection on an independent ticket and fell behind the state representative, Cuomo and Democratic candidate Brad Lander in recent polling . Adams was elected ) as a Democrat in 2022 but lost the support within his party after criticizing ex-President Joe Biden’s approach to unauthorized immigration.

The top two candidates represent different generations competing for power among Democrats.

Mamdani was born in Uganda but raised in New York as the son of an “ anti-colonialism ” scholar At Columbia University, the candidate is dedicated to introducing various "free" programs for New Yorkers, like a $30 minimum wage, reducing the emphasis on the role of local police and arresting If Israel's prime minister were to enter the city.

Cuomo was born in Queens, supports Israel, wants to grow the police force and is more than twice Mamdani’s age . His economic solutions include tax relief and increasing “affordable housing” among other more moderate ideas.

While Mamdani’s campaign has raised more than $8 million in private contributions and public matching funds, neither Cuomo nor Adams has received public funding owing to the state's legal obstacles. Cuomo’s campaign is expected to qualify For public matching funds to be provided by May 12 if they rectify a clerical mistake, whereas Adams had his matching funds rejected because of concerns arising from alleged federal corruption during the Biden administration. charges against him that were dropped by the Trump administration.

"The Democratic Party at present is still experiencing something of an internal conflict, and I believe that both the drive and financial resources are favoring the considerably more progressive candidates," Talgo stated.

Beyond endorsing Mamdani, the DSA has similarly fundraised for his campaign and conducted Voter engagement before the election. A New York DSA leader mentioned in February that the organization aims to "overcome the rightward trend observed among New Yorkers" following developments in various counties. swung toward President Donald Trump in 2024 by margins of both single and double digits.

DSA’s national and New York City chapters did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

A Mamdani win would also counter losses DSA experienced during Biden’s term, which included declines in membership and campaign victories tied to financial struggles and internal disputes.

The DSA supported fewer candidates and ballot measures in 2024 compared to any year since 2019. data from the group’s website The ballot measures addressed workers' rights, abortion, purported police excesses, and various other topics.

Still, only 45% of the 2024 campaigns won, a decrease from over 50% between 2020 and 2023, according to the DCNF’s analysis of the data. The analysis excluded DSA campaigns promoting a “noncommitted” vote as well as two elections that resulted in runoffs.

The count of DSA members who are up-to-date with their dues peaked In April 2021, it stood at around 79,000 but then decreased by more than 9,500 throughout President Biden's tenure, as reported. data posted Online through affiliates of DSA, the membership count stood at 69,155 as of December. Since then, it has grown by over 7,000 members from January onwards. The spikes in membership seem to align with several events: the rise of anti-police Black Lives Matter demonstrations during the summer of 2020, Donald Trump's presidency, and the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in 2022 that overturned the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade.

As membership slowly decreased, lack of dues Payments issues have led to financial difficulties and sporadic accounts of conflicts among members.

DSA leaders passed a resolution in early 2024 to let go of 12 full-time workers due to an anticipated budget shortfall exceeding $1.2 million. This decision came after a burst of activity. debate Regarding DSA’s future has arisen since the start of its “ budget crisis ", with accusations flying between members over social media. mismanaging the organization — or claiming The non-profit fundraising division of DSA is considered "too conservative" for their movement by some members. These individuals have written that the leadership overlooked indications of budgetary discrepancies from the beginning, and very little action was taken to address this issue before it escalated into a significant financial deficit.

Anti-Semitism and the conflict between Israel and Hamas have created additional rifts among various factions within the Democratic Party. This division is particularly evident with figures like Mamdani and organizations such as the DSA. drawn criticism because of their positions against Israel, alongside local activists charging Mamdani with seeking the approval of anti-Semitic individuals.

New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as well criticized In 2023, the DSA organized demonstrations in support of Palestinians immediately following Hamas’s terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023. The organization urged Ocasio-Cortez and former Democratic Representative Jamaal Bowman from New York—both members of the DSA—to adopt more stringent positions against Israel through public statements. statements and temporarily declining to endorse for their reelection. The New York City branch of DSA proposed A proposal to condemn Ocasio-Cortez for organizing a discussion on antisemitism was brought forward but eventually dismissed.

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Nevertheless, Talgo informed the DCNF that Mamdani’s portrayal of economic issues as a battle against the middle class might resonate with numerous New York residents facing increasing hardships. costs of living For instance, housing expenses increased more rapidly than earnings throughout the city between 2019 and 2023, as reported by the Fiscal Policy Institute.

“Athough I totally, totally disagree with the DSA's policies, I will still acknowledge that they are tackling some key issues,” Talgo stated. He mentioned that establishment Democrats have been ignoring populist presidential candidates for years. candidates , such as DSA-backed Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont could end up causing trouble for them.

“When you look at, like, [Ocasio-Cortez] and Bernie going on their anti-‘oligarch’ tour "They're the ones attracting the large crowds," Talgo stated.

Talgo suggested that one might attribute a Mamdani win also to Cuomo being a "highly imperfect candidate" because of his past actions. scandals and accusations of sexual harassment, which led to his resignation From the office. Achieving such a victory would still encourage those same left-wing groups whose extremism has been blamed For Trump's bid for reelection, analysts informed the DCNF.

[Mamdani’s] win would validate the DSA as the primary influence within the Democratic Party," Barron stated. "This could lead to AOC being nominated in 2028, solidifying her de facto position as the leading figure among Democrats in the U.S.

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