On 4 November, the United States held its first local and state-level elections since President Donald Trump took office at the start of 2025. The poll was seen as an early indicator of voting trends ahead of midterm elections scheduled for Autumn 2026. It took place amidst ever-growing domestic divisions and a government shutdown that has stretched into its sixth week, due to a deep impasse in Congress over the federal budget.
Although the Democratic Party made significant gains in the election, particularly in the states of Virginia and New Jersey, as well as the success of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s initiative to redraw electoral districts, granting the Democrats five additional seats in Congress, the New York City mayoral election garnered the most attention. The vote said much about the future of the Democrats and the reshaping of power centres within both of the country’s two main political parties, which are ever more bitterly divided. The Democratic candidate, Zohran Mamdani, won the New York City mayoral election despite a total lack of support from his party’s establishment, which had expressed reservations about him, and in defiance of Trump’s attacks against him and threats of punitive measures against the city were he to be elected mayor.
The Rise of the Democratic Socialists
Mamdani, a 34-year-old born in Uganda, belongs to the Democratic Socialist wing of the Democratic Party, a movement that believes in a more equitable redistribution of wealth and an expanded role for the state in managing key sectors such as healthcare and public utilities, for the sake of the public interest.[1] Despite attempts by his opponents, particularly Republicans, to label him a “communist,” the Democratic Socialists reject such accusations, arguing that their vision transcends authoritarian models of socialism and embraces a democratic, reformist approach. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) movement describes its vision as pushing “further than historic social democracy and leaves behind authoritarian visions of socialism in the dustbin of history”.[2] Many members of the movement acknowledge that radical transformation will not happen in the short term, and therefore rely on tools such as organizing, political pressure, and protest to bring about gradual change within the existing system. The organization argues that as capitalism is not likely to end in the short term, its fight is for reforms today that weaken corporate power and strengthen the power of the working class; it cites initiatives such as the “Medicare for All Act” and the “Green New Deal” as examples of this incremental, reformist approach.[3]
A Gallup poll conducted in September showed that nearly two-thirds of Democrats view socialist ideas favourably, compared to only 50 percent in 2010 – although the majority of Americans still prefer capitalism.[4]
Against this backdrop, Mamdani ran for mayor of New York City on a platform aimed at making the most expensive city in the US affordable for all its residents, including the working class. His campaign garnered widespread support, particularly among young people, thanks to his promises of free public transportation, free childcare for low-income families, the creation of low-cost municipal grocery stores, a freeze on public housing rents, and the raising of the minimum wage to $30 per hour.
Mapping a Path to Electoral Victory
Mamdani’s rise represents one of the fastest in modern American political history. Just a year ago, when he announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City, he was an unknown quantity in the city – despite having been member of the New York State Legislature since 2021, representing the Astoria neighbourhood in Queens. In January, opinion polls projected he would receive no more than eight percent of the vote in the Democratic primary.[5] But, relying on political acumen and personal charisma, Mamdani focused on working-class issues and built an extensive network of young volunteers, enabling him to build a strong electoral base both within and outside the Democratic Party.
In the Democratic primary in June, Mamdani defied expectations by defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo with 56.4 percent of the vote compared to Cuomo’s 43.6 percent.[6] Cuomo had served as governor of New York for nearly 11 years before resigning in 2021 following accusations of sexual harassment and criticism of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given that Mamdani belongs to the progressive left wing of the Democratic Party, or the “Democratic Socialists,” the party establishment hesitated to support him, which gave Cuomo an opportunity to run as an independent. Cuomo attacked Mamdani with Islamophobic rhetoric, cast doubts over his experience and competence, and criticized his opposition to Israel and its genocide in the Gaza Strip. As opinion polls leaned in Mamdani’s favour, incumbent mayor Eric Adams withdrew from the election to boost Cuomo’s chances.[7] Like Cuomo, Adams is a Democrat, but he ran as an independent in the election due to a federal investigation into suspected corruption; the Department of Justice (DOJ) later instructed federal prosecutors to drop the charges, which many saw as a response to Adams’ expressions of support for Trump’s immigration agenda.
In the face of a campaign rife with racism, Mamdani ran his own campaign in multiple languages, including Urdu, Hindi, and Spanish, and campaigned in mosques and workplaces, key centres of voter mobilization. His pride in his cultural heritage and religious identity, his refusal to hide or apologize for them, and his support for Gaza and immigrants resonated with many voters.
As the election approached, Trump personally entered the fray, attacking Mamdani as a “communist” and a “radical,” and threatening to arrest him and strip him of his citizenship. He also threatened to cut off federal funding to New York and to deploy the National Guard there.[8] Days before the vote, Trump called on Republicans to support Cuomo, but Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa refused to withdraw in his favour. Moreover, the alliance between Trump and Cuomo allowed Mamdani to portray himself as standing up to an oligarchy of money, business, and politics, and against Trump’s authoritarian tendencies, which attracted Democratic voters disillusioned with the weakness of their party’s leadership when it comes to confronting Trump. As Mamdani’s popularity surged, a number of prominent Democrats gave into pressure to declare their support for him, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Kathy Hochul, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Former president Barack Obama hesitated to do so, while Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand refrained from endorsing him.[9]
Despite divisions within the Democratic party establishment and attacks from Republicans and the super-wealthy, Mamdani succeeded in prompting a record turnout, with more than two million New Yorkers casting their votes, double the number four years earlier. With Cuomo running as an independent, the Democratic vote was split: 60 percent of those who had supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election voted for Mamdani, while 36 percent backed Cuomo.[10] This division, which reflects the struggle between the progressive and traditional wings of the party, could have future implications at the national level, in an echo of the 2016 presidential vote when Hillary Clinton lost to Trump. However, unprecedented youth participation enabled Mamdani to achieve a record number of votes not seen since 1969, receiving more than one million votes (50 percent) compared to Cuomo’s 40 percent and Sliwa’s seven percent.[11] According to exit polls, 78 percent of younger voters backed Mamdani, forming his core base of support. He also garnered broad support from Asian (59 percent), Black (48 percent), and Latino voters (45 percent), while Cuomo prevailed among white voters, with 45 percent, compared to Mamdani’s 37 percent.[12]
Despite accusations of antisemitism due to his support for Palestinian rights and for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel – as well as his description of Israel as an “apartheid regime” – Mamdani received the backing of 33 percent of Jewish voters, compared to 63 percent backing Cuomo.[13] New York City has the largest Jewish population of any metropolitan area outside of Israel (960,000 people, approximately 10 percent of the city’s overall population). His election represents a symbolic break with decades of municipal politics in which support for Israel was considered a prerequisite for winning public office. In his victory speech, Mamdani affirmed his commitment to combating antisemitism, even as Israeli officials called on the city’s Jews to emigrate.
Implications of Mamdani’s Victory
Mamdani’s victory swept him to office as the 111th mayor of New York City, the first Muslim of South Asian descent to hold the office, and the youngest in a century. As the largest American city by population (with approximately nine million inhabitants) and a global financial and media centre, New York is one of the most important political and administrative arenas in the US. Managing it involves overseeing a massive bureaucracy of nearly 300,000 employees and a budget of $115 billion. As such, Mamdani’s victory is not limited to symbolic significance or administrative challenges, but extends to political and strategic dimensions that go beyond the city’s boundaries. This gives him an influential platform to reshape the priorities of the Democratic Party, especially given escalating Republican rhetoric and Trump’s dominance of political discourse in the US.
These elections, held in New York and a number of other US states and cities, also represent Trump’s first national test at the ballot box since his return to the White House.[14] From this perspective, Democrats hope that the results of the poll will provide them with a starting point toward regaining a majority in Congress in 2026, as well as paving the way for the next presidential elections in 2028.
Mamdani’s victory also reflects the rise of the progressive wing within the Democratic Party and the ideological shifts in its internal structure, particularly given the increasingly bitter division between its centrist and progressive wings over how to confront Trump effectively.[15] Given the huge political and symbolic importance of New York City, the repercussions are likely to extend beyond its geographical borders. In his victory speech, Mamdani indicated that his campaign offered a model for how to defeat Trump. Progressives see him as having defeated the Republicans and the old guard of the Democratic Party in a single blow, and argue that this victory could not be achieved without widespread mobilization of working-class voters. Mamdani’s campaign has inspired many progressive activists who wish to run for public office.[16]
Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election owed much to low voter turnout in places like New York, Chicago, and other so-called “blue” cities. This highlighted a reputational crisis over the Democrats’ performance in government, as a large swathe of voters felt that these cities were being mismanaged, undermining public confidence in the Democratic political elite.[17] From this perspective, Mamdani’s election appears to be another response to this frustration, not only in terms of political rhetoric but also at the policy level. That said, Mamdani also represents up-and-coming groups within US society, such as Muslims and South Asians, who constitute a growing component of the Democratic electoral base. These groups will likely play a crucial role in the 2028 presidential primaries, meaning the Democratic Party will need to move beyond reducing American political identity to a black-and-white dichotomy.[18]
The importance of Mamdani’s campaign lies not only in how it managed to win over a generation of young voters disillusioned over the possibility of change, but also in the question of whether it can provide a replicable model for building democratic political movements. Youth participation, the most prominent factor in Mamdani’s victory, is also likely to represent the key element in the party’s future efforts to avoid losses similar to those suffered in 2016 and 2024.[19]
Conclusion
Mamdani’s victory in the New York mayoral election has resonated well beyond the city itself, reflecting shifts in the American political landscape and highlighting striking paradoxes; first and foremost, the election of a young immigrant, who only obtained American citizenship seven years ago, to preside over the largest and most important city in the United States – the home town of Trump himself – even as the president espouses a political discourse that excludes immigrants of colour and reinforces the notion of “white America.”
Through his success, Mamdani – known for his support of Palestinian rights and his criticism of Israeli policies – challenges long-held traditions relating to Jewish influence in New York, especially given that a third of Jewish voters cast their ballots for him, in a symbolic break with decades of political alignment conditioned on support for Israel. Campaign allusions to Mamdani’s religious background also negatively impacted Cuomo’s electoral chances, given the association with the memory of the 9/11 attacks, and the fact that many considered this discourse offensive to New Yorkers’ values.[20]
Similarly, the support that Trump and the Republicans extended to Cuomo helped to galvanize the Democratic base, which turned out to support its candidate, who had explicitly rejected what they saw as intimidating political behaviour. This was reflected in the widespread mobilization in favour of Mamdani. His victory speech was characterized by unwavering resolve and a lack of conciliatory gestures towards his opponents, while Trump’s aggressive tone towards him noticeably softened after the election results were announced.
Despite his historic victory, Mamdani will not find it easy to succeed in fulfilling his duties as mayor of New York. Implementing his ambitious campaign promises will require support from state authorities and the state legislature, backing that is far from guaranteed, given the divisions within the Democratic Party itself. Furthermore, President Trump’s threats to cut federal funding to the city and deploy the National Guard there could lead to complex and protracted legal battles that could drain much of his political and administrative energy, as well as dragging him into direct conflict with the federal government.
[1] Rachel Treisman, “NYC's Next Mayor is a Democratic Socialist. What Does that Mean?”
NPR, 5/11/2025, accessed on 10/11/2025, at:
https://acr.ps/1L9BOXX.
[2] “What is Democratic Socialism?” Democratic Socialists of America website, accessed on 10/11/2025, at: https://acr.ps/1L9BPTy.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Jeffrey M. Jones, “Image of Capitalism Slips to 54% in U.S.,”
Gallup, 8/9/2025, accessed on 10/11/2025, at: https://acr.ps/1L9BPUf.
[5] Kiko Llaneras, Sebastián Casse & Daniele Grasso, “Who voted for Mamdani? The New York Election in Seven Charts,”
El Pais, 5/11/2025, accessed on 10/11/2025, at:
https://acr.ps/1L9BPsP.
[6] “New York City Mayoral Primary Election Results,”
The New York Times, 23/7/2025, accessed on 10/11/2025, at: https://acr.ps/1L9BOU1.
[7] Michelle L. Price & Jill Colvin, “Mamdani tells Trump that New York is Ready to Fight after President's Threats Fail to Thwart Voters,”
The Associated Press, 5/11/2025, accessed on 10/11/2025, at:
https://acr.ps/1L9BPDj.
[8] Price & Colvin.
[9] Anna Betts, “Zohran Mamdani Elected Mayor of New York City in Historic Win,”
The Guardian, 5/11/2025, accessed on 10/11/2025, at:
https://acr.ps/1L9BOXt.
[10] Llaneras, Casse & Grasso.
[11] Betts.
[12] Llaneras, Casse & Grasso.
[13] Luke Tress, “Exit Poll Finds One-Third of NYC Jews Backed anti-Israel Mamdani; Cuomo took Jewish Areas,”
The Times of Israel, 5/11/2025, accessed on 10/11/2025, at:
https://acr.ps/1L9BPkU.
[14] Stephen Collinson, “If the Trump Wall is about to Crumble, here’s Where it Will Show First,”
CNN, 4/11/2025, accessed on 10/11/2025, at:
https://acr.ps/1L9BP7K
[15] John Power, “Trump says Mamdani must ‘Respect’ Washington, wants New York to Succeed,”
Aljazeera, 6/11/2025, accessed on 10/11/2025, at:
https://acr.ps/1L9BOVk
[16] Rachel Leingang, “The Mamdani Effect: How His Win Spurred more than 10,000 Progressives to Consider Run for Office,”
The Guardian, 5/11/2025, accessed on 10/11/2025, at:
https://acr.ps/1L9BORS
[17] Astead Herndon & Cameron Peters, “Why Zohran Mamdani’s Victory Will Resonate Beyond New York City,”
VOX, 4/11/2025, accessed on 10/11/2025, at:
https://acr.ps/1L9BPKv
[18] Ibid.
[19] Emma Goldberg & Benjamin Oreskes, “A Little-Noted Element Propelled Mamdani’s Rise: Gen Z Loneliness,”
The New York Times, 4/11/2025, accessed on 10/11/2025, at:
https://acr.ps/1L9BPyu
[20] Herndon & Peters.
