Zohran Mamdani's victory in the New York City mayor's race has found a wide echo among its residents, who gave him overwhelming support in an unprecedented election. Despite this popular support, Mamdani's campaign did not receive actual backing from the leadership of the Democratic Party. Leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, refused to clearly endorse him, even though his electoral district voted for Mamdani by a large margin. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also refused to state his position or disclose his vote, sparking speculation that he may have voted for Cuomo. Former President Barack Obama reportedly called Mamdani to congratulate him and express admiration for his campaign, while the national Democrats' stance ranged from concern to disapproval. This hesitation seems to stem not only from political disagreements but from a deeper internal fear. The party, which has failed to regain voters' trust, sees Mamdani's success as a challenge to the existing system. He managed to win with an honest and principled speech at a time when American politics has become captive to money, polls, and interests. Perhaps what the party leaders fear most now is not that Mamdani will fail to govern New York, but that he will succeed, because his success will be practical proof that the 'progressive socialism' model can work in America's largest city. Mamdani has begun a new chapter in American politics, where his victory was not just an electoral event but a sign that the spirit of the Democratic Party is not yet dead, and that real change can come from outside traditional power circles, led by a young man who believes in people more than in power and money. In the midst of this decline, a number of political consultants fell for the so-called 'moderate populism,' a theory promoted by theorists like David Shor and Matt Yglesias. They call for adjusting Democratic Party platforms to align with the 'median' of public opinion, which in practice means a shift to the right and abandoning the weaker segments of society. This approach has led to the emergence of a network of centrist or moderate-right research and consulting centers aimed at crafting a discourse that pleases wealthy funders more than representing the grassroots base. Thus, the Democratic Party, in the eyes of many, has become a lukewarm party without clear principles, afraid of confrontation because it no longer believes in anything. In response, Mamdani firmly rejected this approach. He did not seek to compromise his positions or polish his image in a way that did not reflect his convictions. His campaign was built on a sincere message focused on the problem of economic inequality in New York and his insistence that the city can be a place where workers live with dignity. When racist attacks from the Cuomo camp depicted him as a 'Ugandan Muslim celebrating terrorism,' he did not react emotionally but continued his campaign calmly and confidently. When his opponents tried to sow fears about his socialism, he reminded them of the legacy of American socialist Vito Marcantonio, who represented Harlem in Congress for seven terms, and Mamdani said at the time: 'We must look to our past to see how socialism can create a bright future for us.' Mamdani managed to win the trust of New Yorkers by offering them a new vision based on social justice and the cost of living. It seems that reports of the demise of the U.S. Democratic Party are greatly exaggerated. The victory of young politician Zohran Mamdani, at 34, proves the opposite. In the recent elections, Mamdani, known for his humility and pleasant demeanor, won the trust of New Yorkers by offering them a new vision based on social justice and affordability of living, achieving a landslide victory in the race for mayor of America's largest city. With this victory, Mamdani dealt a heavy blow to one of the most powerful forces in American politics—the 'billionaire power,' according to the 'Citizens United' decision of 2010, which opened the floodgates to huge money flows in U.S. election campaigns. Mamdani defeated his opponent, backed by wealthy elites, by a nine-point margin, proving that money is not always the decisive factor at the ballot box. His opponent in the race was Andrew Cuomo, former governor of New York, who ran as an independent candidate after Mamdani had previously defeated him in the Democratic primary. Despite billionaires pouring huge funds into his campaign, Cuomo lost again to the young rising socialist. Republican Curtis Slevia, known for his eccentric behavior, did not pose a real challenge in this race. Donations poured into Cuomo's campaign from the elite of the wealthy, who were fed up with Mamdani's socialist policies and bold proposals, such as expanding social services and universal childcare, as well as his statements that 'there should not be billionaires.' Investor and billionaire Bill Ackman, one of the most prominent supporters of President Donald Trump, contributed about $1.75 million to support Cuomo. A former mayor of New York donated a massive sum of $8.3 million. The Lauder family from the cosmetics industry funded organizations supporting Cuomo and opposing Mamdani to the tune of $2.6 million. The wealthy Tisch family contributed $1.2 million in an attempt to block the young socialist's progress. Nevertheless, the results showed that the alliance of money and influence is no longer enough to determine the outcome of elections. Mamdani's victory was not just a personal triumph but a sharp slap to the traditional strategies within the Democratic Party, which has been in a state of confusion and loss of direction since its defeat to Trump in the 2024 presidential election. The Democratic leadership in Congress appeared paralyzed and justifying itself, while some figures from President Joe Biden's previous administration were busy writing memoirs where they blame each other without taking real responsibility.
