Democrats should embrace Mamdani’s NYC victory

[cartoon id="297422"] Zohran Mamdani’s unlikely victory in New York’s Democratic primary for mayor shell-shocked the nation’s political establishment, forcing pundits and party officials to entertain the possible reality there are sizable numbers of Democratic voters eager for radical and dramatic change. If elected, Mamdani will instantly challenge the incremental and milquetoast Republican approaches to issues of crucial importance to the Democratic Party’s base  —  childcare, affordable housing, rent control, health care, etc. Naturally, Mamdani’s victory resulted in fraught bipartisan meltdowns across the political spectrum, as pockets of Democratic donors, party leaders, and others went into panic mode. Some insisted on challenging and defeating Mamdani in November. Time will tell which outcome occurs. Much of the vitriol reserved for the 33-year-old socialist, who hails from an upscale pedigree, has emerged from the political right. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posted an image of the Statue of Liberty clothed in a burqa with the message, “This hits hard.” Her equally menacing fellow conservative, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) shared a photo of Mamdani and wrote, “After 9/11 we said ‘Never Forget.’ I think we sadly have forgotten.” Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who is weighing a gubernatorial bid, called Mamdani an “antisemitic, jihadist, Communist candidate.” Rep. Andrew Ogles (R-Tenn.) referred to Mamdani as “little muhammad” and distributed a letter he forwarded to Attorney General Pam Bondi encouraging the Justice Department to investigate Mamdani, claiming “he may have procured U.S. citizenship through willful misrepresentation or concealment of material support for terrorism.” Mamdani is Muslim and a naturalized citizen born in Uganda who moved to New York at seven years old and became a U.S. citizen in 2018. He has denounced such attacks, saying earlier this month they demonstrate the “very sad burden of what it means to be the first Muslim candidate to run for mayor, is to deal with dehumanizing language.” Growing emotional, he explained the verbal barrage made him feel “as if I am a beast.” He said he has received death threats and “messages that say the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim.” Lekha Sunder, a spokesperson for the Mamdani campaign, echoed those comments last week. “In typical MAGA fashion, lawmakers like Congressman Ogles and Mace have responded to our historic victory in New York City with hatred, division, and a desire to suppress the will of the people. Our movement will not cower in response. In the coming months, we will continue our efforts to listen to every New Yorker, usher in a new generation of leadership, and build a city that is affordable for everyone.” Such malicious rhetoric should hardly come as a surprise given the reality that the current Republican Party is led by a commander-in-chief who has referred to immigrants as “animals,” claimed that “they’re poisoning the blood of our country,” and remarked to a radio host that they commit murder because “it’s in their genes.” He avidly embraces the “Great Replacement” theory, which posits that Democrats have deliberately encouraged mass illegal immigration in order to transform the electorate. As it related to more inspirational messages, David Freedlander wrote in New York Magazine Mamdani told him on the phone that “We won College Point, Brighton Beach, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach,” ticking through neighborhoods known to be among the most right-leaning  in the city. Although Mamdani’s victory is a signal of an undeniable shift happening in the Democratic Party with younger, more motivated, and more active voters, party leadership elites don't seem willing to share equitable power. Such impervious resistance could prove to be problematic. If the recent election outcome is any indication, the party had better get prepared to listen to, embrace, and recruit a wider swath of voters, in particular, younger and disenfranchised voters. - Copyright 2025 Elwood Watson, distributed by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate Elwood Watson is a professor of history, Black studies, and gender and sexuality studies at East Tennessee State University. He is also an author and public speaker.