He did it. On 1 January 2026, mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will be sworn into City Hall as a 34-year-old self-proclaimed democratic socialist. This victory is historic and meaningful: here is why.
Mamdani is a democratic socialist in a country that fears the word socialism more than the plague. Yes, his victory was in NYC, a traditionally ‘blue’, or left-leaning, city. But a blue Democrat is closer in ideology to the Conservative Party than to any leftists we have in the UK, so to hear Americans cheering at the word ‘socialism’ is something genuinely special. Support for Mamdani in a February 2025 poll was at 1 per cent compared to approximately 50 per cent by the eve of the election. This proves that Mamdani not only won but also dominated the politics of the city, triggering the highest turnout in an NYC mayoral election since 1969.
Against all odds, he has reshaped the politics of the largest and richest city in the richest and most powerful country on earth. But the borders of the city failed to contain his movement, with his message of affordability, of pro-worker sentiment, of anti-oligarchy, of socialism, reaching across America and the globe – with people in my community, 3,500 miles away from Mamdani and with no broader interest in politics, aware of him and his message. This feels like a tidal shift.
His campaign and his victory must be used as a blueprint to defeat MAGA nationwide.
The opposition candidates were not exactly favourable—a disgraced former governor carrying numerous sexual misconduct allegations, and a Republican with less name recognition than Mamdani’s wife, who seems to bring every story back to him being shot and/or stabbed in his various adventures across the city. But this should not devalue what can be learned from Mamdani’s victory.
His campaign was built on shared values and hope, speaking to the millions who felt as though their vote could never outweigh the millions of dollars in political donations by the super-rich. Mamdani voiced a vision of a city that was not built on images of a fictional idealist past, nor did it consist solely of accusational politics. His vision instilled the idea that politics could actually do something, that it could make a difference for the lives of those who historically have been neglected by it.
Targeting this audience is not new. Trump did it in 2016, 2020, and 2024, but Mamdani did it through brave actionable policy proposals: free childcare, free buses, government-subsidised grocery stores, rent freezes. Rather than being scared as to the potential political backlash, Mamdani saw what needed to be done, and in line with his personal conviction, he was not afraid but instead was the David to the Goliath of capital-interested city politics.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) needs to mimic this, they need to stop putting forward old establishment candidates to face Trump and his henchmen at city, state, and national elections. They need youth, they need hope, and most of all they need to be brave in their policy, as Mamdani has been. He has handed them a blueprint to defeat MAGA, and if the DNC does not use it, I fear a political dynasty forming in the U.S.
“Zohran Mamdani Speaking at a DSA 101 Meeting at the Church of the Village in NYC” by Bingjiefu He is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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The Democratic Party Must Learn from Mamdani’s Victory
He did it. On 1 January 2026, mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will be sworn into City Hall as a 34-year-old self-proclaimed democratic socialist. This victory is historic and meaningful: here is why.
Mamdani is a democratic socialist in a country that fears the word socialism more than the plague. Yes, his victory was in NYC, a traditionally ‘blue’, or left-leaning, city. But a blue Democrat is closer in ideology to the Conservative Party than to any leftists we have in the UK, so to hear Americans cheering at the word ‘socialism’ is something genuinely special. Support for Mamdani in a February 2025 poll was at 1 per cent compared to approximately 50 per cent by the eve of the election. This proves that Mamdani not only won but also dominated the politics of the city, triggering the highest turnout in an NYC mayoral election since 1969.
Against all odds, he has reshaped the politics of the largest and richest city in the richest and most powerful country on earth. But the borders of the city failed to contain his movement, with his message of affordability, of pro-worker sentiment, of anti-oligarchy, of socialism, reaching across America and the globe – with people in my community, 3,500 miles away from Mamdani and with no broader interest in politics, aware of him and his message. This feels like a tidal shift.
His campaign and his victory must be used as a blueprint to defeat MAGA nationwide.
The opposition candidates were not exactly favourable—a disgraced former governor carrying numerous sexual misconduct allegations, and a Republican with less name recognition than Mamdani’s wife, who seems to bring every story back to him being shot and/or stabbed in his various adventures across the city. But this should not devalue what can be learned from Mamdani’s victory.
His campaign was built on shared values and hope, speaking to the millions who felt as though their vote could never outweigh the millions of dollars in political donations by the super-rich. Mamdani voiced a vision of a city that was not built on images of a fictional idealist past, nor did it consist solely of accusational politics. His vision instilled the idea that politics could actually do something, that it could make a difference for the lives of those who historically have been neglected by it.
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Targeting this audience is not new. Trump did it in 2016, 2020, and 2024, but Mamdani did it through brave actionable policy proposals: free childcare, free buses, government-subsidised grocery stores, rent freezes. Rather than being scared as to the potential political backlash, Mamdani saw what needed to be done, and in line with his personal conviction, he was not afraid but instead was the David to the Goliath of capital-interested city politics.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) needs to mimic this, they need to stop putting forward old establishment candidates to face Trump and his henchmen at city, state, and national elections. They need youth, they need hope, and most of all they need to be brave in their policy, as Mamdani has been. He has handed them a blueprint to defeat MAGA, and if the DNC does not use it, I fear a political dynasty forming in the U.S.
“Zohran Mamdani Speaking at a DSA 101 Meeting at the Church of the Village in NYC” by Bingjiefu He is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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