New York City holds its mayoral election today, with Zohran Mamdani’s widely expected win already intensifying the debate over the future of the US Democratic Party.
Mamdani’s unapologetically progressive and youth-centric politics have inspired enthusiasm among many New Yorkers: Early voting patterns show turnout is up, especially among Millennials. But the self-described democratic socialist is more controversial outside of NYC and the left. US President Donald Trump endorsed the independent Andrew Cuomo, calling Mamdani a “100% communist lunatic,” and moderate Democrats argue that the frontrunner’s left-wing stance will be a boost for Republicans nationwide. One political strategist told the Financial Times that Mamdani would be a “vulnerability” for Democrats because “Republicans are going to use him as the new bogeyman.”