Historic New York City Mayoral Win—What’s Next?

By Sonia Samant

Zohran Mamdani has won the mayoral election for New York City; but what exactly does this mean for the city, and by extension, America? 

Mamdani is New York City’s first South Asian and Muslim mayor-elect, as well as the first immigrant holding office in eighty years, beating former governor Andrew Cuomo by over 180,000 votes. He revitalized New Yorkers’s political interests, with over two million votes cast, a number that hadn’t been seen in the city in over fifty years.

A self-proclaimed democratic socialist, he aims to focus on issues such as income inequality, affordable housing, free and improved public transportation, and other various policies. Although he has been criticized and called a communist by many in opposition, he stands firmly on this stance, claiming that there needs to be improvements to wealth distribution in NYC.

These policies have proved appealing to New Yorkers and many more, with a September Gallup poll finding that approximately two thirds of Democrats now view socialism positively, in contrast to the 50% from 2010. 

With Mamdani’s popularity at a high, many are wondering what his win means for the Democratic Party. This is the biggest win for progressives since Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won against the incumbent congressman Joe Crowley in 2018; however, it doesn’t necessarily mean a shift in the party’s policies. 

Despite the increasing favorability towards the term socialism, it still carries negative connotations, with many Democrats reluctant to align themselves with such a term. Democratic leaders have either reluctantly offered endorsements to him during his campaign, or distanced themselves entirely. Despite this hesitation, however he handles his mayoral term may just determine other stances for the Democratic Party.