Five takeaways behind Mamdani's historic NYC win
NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani shocked the nation Tuesday by besting Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor. Behind the 33-year-old's historic win were several feats that surprised even the most veteran political observers and upended the traditional way they conceptualize local elections. Mamdani was able to tap into an excited, relatively young base as expected; he also expanded the electorate beyond expectations while competing with Cuomo in areas where the former governor seemed poised to dominate.
'[Mamdani] ran a smart race,' said Basil Smikle Jr., who previously ran the state Democratic Party. 'He represents the next generation of Democratic politics.'
Here are five takeaways from the first round of ranked-choice voting:
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CNN
21 minutes ago
- CNN
With viral videos and buzzy spots, Zohran Mamdani crafts a Democratic blueprint
CNN — One of Zohran Mamdani's rivals during a New York City mayoral primary debate, trying to paint him as too inexperienced for the job of mayor, dismissed his rise in the polls with a quip. 'I regret not running for mayor in 2021,' said the rival, state Sen. Jessica Ramos. 'I had been in the Senate for two years. I'd already passed over a dozen bills. I thought I needed more experience.' 'But turns out you just need to make good videos,' Ramos concluded. Ramos might have had a point. Mamdani was on the cusp of a remarkable result in Tuesday's mayoral primary, with his chief rival, Andrew Cuomo, conceding the race. Through creative, visually striking advertisements, buzzy public appearances, and new media guest spots, the 33-year old state assemblyman went from nearly unknown outside of New York City to a new national face of progressive challengers to both President Donald Trump and the Democratic establishment. The videos Mamdani produced and posted on social media drew widespread interest from strategists and talk that they could be a model for Democrats worried they are losing the battle for younger voters online. Waleed Shahid, a veteran Democratic strategist who has worked with a range of progressive candidates and committees, compared Mamdani to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who endorsed him. 'Zohran cracked the code so many Democrats are searching for: laser-focus on affordability, scroll-stopping videos, and blend Obama's happy warrior with Bernie's populist anger,' Shahid said. 'Democrats say they want to modernize; this is a playbook.' Mamdani mixed moments like a tense confrontation with Trump administration border czar Tom Homan in March, with other more relaxed episodes, likes when the candidate plunged into winter waters off of Coney Island to promote his 'rent freeze' proposal, or as he recently walked 'the length of Manhattan.' In one video viewed over 5 million times on X, he explained New York City's ranked choice voting system – and criticized Cuomo, the former New York governor – speaking in Hindi, using mango lassi to analogize the ranked-choice voting process. Mamdani has flooded multiple platforms with his content, drawing more than one million followers across TikTok, Instagram, X and other social media sites. And he's joined new media shows, podcasts, and popular accounts to broaden his reach, such as a guest appearance with comedian Stavros Halkias the weekend before the election that drew more than 50,000 likes in less than a day. 'As Stavvy was saying, freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants, making the slowest buses in the country fast and free, delivering universal childcare. We can only do this, though, if you come out and vote,' Mamdani says in the short-form video. The effectiveness of the tactics used by Mamdani, the anti-establishment challenger, against Cuomo, the durable establishment favorite, offers a potential test case among the party's base voters in liberal New York City that will inform the next steps on Democrat's path forward. He raised $8 million (the fundraising cap set by the city's campaign finance rules) and dominated the field in contributions from small donors. Democratic soul-searching began quickly after 2024, as the party struggled to come to grips with the sophisticated media apparatus that President Donald Trump's campaign had built on his way to victory. Questions were posed about Trump's more successful pursuit of alternative media platforms, his penchant for viral moments, and his erosion of Democrats' long-running advantage with young voters and voters of color – demographics tuned into the channels Trump dominated. Many liberals cast about for a ' Joe Rogan of the left, ' nodding to the president's valuable appearance with the popular podcast host in the weeks leading up to the election. 'Win or lose, Democrats would be smart to learn from Mamdani's example. He's meeting the moment with a populist, sticky message, an instinct for new media, and a command of the attention economy that's all too rare in Democratic politics today,' said Sawyer Hackett, a Democratic strategist with experience working on presidential campaigns. But Jesse Ferguson, a veteran Democratic strategist, cautioned Democrats against taking too many lessons from the high-profile contest in New York. 'These are good tactical innovations, but tactics aren't strategy, so Democrats shouldn't learn from any of these candidates and think the underlying problems are solved,' Ferguson said. The fights that have divided national Democrats showed up in the New York race. Former President Bill Clinton headlined establishment endorsements for Cuomo,. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – two progressives also known for their social media reach and their distance from party leaders – backed Mamdani. (Mamdani's appeared for a live video on Ocasio-Cortez's Instagram a few hours before polls closed Tuesday.) The Democratic National Committee stayed neutral. But ousted DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, the Gen Z activist pushed out of leadership after vowing to back younger primary challengers, was featured on Mamdani's social media. And his group, 'Leaders We Deserve,' gave $300,000 to an organization backing Mamdani. Hogg was at Mamdani's Election Night party Tuesday. So was Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter of the party's most recent presidential nominee, former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Trump officials to give first classified briefing to Congress on Iran strikes
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators are set to meet with top national security officials Thursday as many question President Donald Trump's decision to bomb three Iranian nuclear sites — and whether those strikes were ultimately successful. The classified briefing, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday and was delayed, also comes as the Senate is expected to vote this week on a resolution that would require congressional approval if Trump decides to strike Iran again . Democrats, and some Republicans, have said that the White House overstepped its authority when it failed to seek the advice of Congress and they want to know more about the intelligence that Trump relied on when he authorized the attacks. 'Senators deserve full transparency, and the administration has a legal obligation to inform Congress precisely about what is happening,' said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who said Tuesday that it was 'outrageous' that the Senate and House briefings were postponed. A similar briefing for House members was pushed to Friday. CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are expected to brief the senators on Thursday. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was scheduled to be at the Tuesday briefing, but will not be attending, according to a person familiar with the schedule. The briefing could be contentious as questions have swirled around Trump's decision to strike Iran and whether the attacks were successful. A preliminary U.S. intelligence report found this week that Iran's nuclear program had been set back only a few months, contradicting statements from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the status of Iran's nuclear facilities, according to two people familiar with the report. The people were not authorized to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. On Wednesday, Gabbard and Ratcliffe sent out statements backing Trump's claims that the facilities were 'completely and fully obliterated.' Gabbard posted on social media that 'new intelligence confirms what @POTUS has stated numerous times: Iran's nuclear facilities have been destroyed.' She said that if the Iranians choose to rebuild the three facilities, it would 'likely take years to do.' Ratcliffe said in a statement from the CIA that Iran's nuclear program has been 'severely damaged' and cited new intelligence 'from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.' Most Republicans have staunchly defended Trump and hailed the tentative ceasefire he brokered in the Israel-Iran war. House Speaker Mike Johnson even went as far as to question the constitutionality of the War Powers Act , which is intended to give Congress a say in military action. 'The bottom line is the commander in chief is the president, the military reports to the president, and the person empowered to act on the nation's behalf is the president,' Johnson told reporters. But some Republicans — including some of Trump's staunchest supporters — are uncomfortable with the strikes and the potential for U.S. involvement in an extended Middle East conflict. 'I think the speaker needs to review the Constitution,' said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. 'And I think there's a lot of evidence that our Founding Fathers did not want presidents to unilaterally go to war.' Paul would not say if he is voting for the resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., that would require congressional approval for specific military action in Iran. The resolution is likely to fail as 60 votes would be needed to pass it and Republicans have a 53-47 majority. But Kaine says it's important to put the Senate on the record. 'You have a debate like this so that the entire American public, whose sons and daughters are in the military and whose lives will be at risk in war, get to see the debate and reach their own conclusion together with the elected officials about whether the mission is worth it or not,' Kaine said. While he did not seek approval, Trump sent congressional leaders a short letter Monday serving as his official notice of the strikes, two days after the bombs fell. The letter said that the strike was taken 'to advance vital United States national interests, and in collective self-defense of our ally, Israel, by eliminating Iran's nuclear program.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Analysis: Trump dominates NATO summit
Analysis: Trump dominates NATO summit Thirty two world leaders attend this year's NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands. But one leader dominated the discussions: President Donald Trump. CNN's correspondent Clare Sebastian offers her analysis from The Hague. 01:34 - Source: CNN Vertical Politics of the Day 17 videos Analysis: Trump dominates NATO summit Thirty two world leaders attend this year's NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands. But one leader dominated the discussions: President Donald Trump. CNN's correspondent Clare Sebastian offers her analysis from The Hague. 01:34 - Source: CNN Tapper responds to Trump's attack of CNN's coverage of US strikes on Iran CNN's Jake Tapper offers a harsh rebuke to President Trump's attack on media outlets for reporting on a preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency report from the Pentagon which found US strikes likely may have only set Iran's ability to produce a nuclear weapon back by a matter of months. President Donald Trump and his administration has repeatedly said that the strikes 'obliterated' Iran's ability to produce a weapon. 04:04 - Source: CNN Zohran Mamdani declares victory in NYC Democratic mayoral primary New York State assemblyman and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani declared victory in a speech as he is poised to win the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, with his top challenger Andrew Cuomo conceding the race. According to CNN's projection, Mamdani, whose campaign focused on affordability, will garner less than 50% of the vote, meaning the race will formally be decided by ranked-choice votes. 02:35 - Source: WABC Mamdani camp electric after Cuomo concedes Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman and democratic socialist, moved to the brink Tuesday of a stunning win in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, with his top challenger, Andrew Cuomo, conceding the race. 00:59 - Source: CNN Cuomo called Mamdani after conceding NYC mayoral primary New York state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani was on the brink of a stunning Democratic primary win Tuesday for New York City mayor, with his top challenger, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, conceding the race. 00:38 - Source: CNN Trump lashes out at Israel and Iran President Donald Trump condemned both Iran and Israel as the ceasefire he brokered between the two countries appeared to grow more fragile. Trump was critical of both sides, but reserved his harshest condemnation for Israel, who he said 'unloaded' on Iran 'as soon as we made the deal.' 02:01 - Source: CNN Reporter asks Trump if he wants regime change in Iran When questioned about Iran while aboard Air Force 1, President Trump addressed whether he desires a change in the countries' regime. 00:58 - Source: CNN Father of Marines detained by ICE Narciso Barranco, a father of three US Marines, was detained by federal agents while working as a landscaper in California. Video captured the moment he was confronted by the agents. 01:10 - Source: CNN 'Complete bait and switch': MTG calls out Trump over Iran strikes Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) calls out President Donald Trump's for reversing course on "key promises" on the "MAGA agenda" after U.S. strikes on Iran nuclear facilities. 00:36 - Source: CNN Bernie Sanders reacts to US strikes on Iran during speech Sen. Bernie Sanders held a "Fighting Oligarchy" rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he received news of President Donald Trump's strikes on Iran. 01:38 - Source: CNN Trump announces air strikes on nuclear sites in Iran US President Donald Trump announced that the United States has completed a 'very successful attack' on nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. 00:38 - Source: CNN Trump's remarks on US strikes in Iran President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the White House after US strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran. 03:39 - Source: CNN Why Trump rebuked his own intel chief CNN's Kristen Holmes reports on how Tulsi Gabbard's standing inside the Trump administration has diminished in recent weeks. President Donald Trump has come to see the director of national intelligence as "off message" when it comes to the conflict in the Middle East, according to one senior White House advisor. 02:04 - Source: CNN Why Fareed Zakaria thinks Trump has 'FOMO' foreign policy CNN's Fareed Zakaria analyzes what may be motivating President Trump's foreign policy: a fear of missing out. 00:44 - Source: CNN Border patrol agents arrest US citizen standing up for detained maintenance worker A US citizen has been arrested after a physical altercation with immigration agents after they detained a maintenance worker at a shopping center in Pico Rivera, California. 01:33 - Source: CNN Jewish GOP Congressman says he was 'run off the road' GOP Rep. Max Miller said he was 'run off the road' on his way to work in Ohio by an individual who yelled "Death to Israel" and had a Palestinian flag. Miller is Jewish and describes himself as a staunch defender of Israel. 00:50 - Source: CNN
