Mamdani likely to be New York's next Mayor

Perth Now

9 hours ago

Described by President Donald Trump as a 'communist lunatic', Zohran Mamdani's unexpected upset in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary has exhilarated progressive activists - and been mocked by Republicans.
Soon after it became clear that Mamdani, a 33-year-old state lawmaker, was likely to prevail, Republican Vice President JD Vance sent congratulations on social media to the "new leader of the Democratic Party." The Republican's congressional campaign arm called him an "antisemitic socialist radical" and promised to tie him to every vulnerable Democrat in next year's midterm elections.
And on Wednesday, Trump - a native New Yorker - piled on, writing on social media, "It's finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100 per cent Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor."
Mamdani's campaign, which drew plaudits for its cheery tone and clever viral videos, could help energise young voters. His rise from a virtual unknown was fuelled by a relentless focus on affordability, an issue Democrats struggled to address during last year's presidential race.
His history-making candidacy – Mamdani, born in Uganda to Indian parents, would be the city's first Muslim and Indian American mayor – could also drive engagement among Asian and especially Muslim voters, some of whom soured on the party after the Biden administration's support for Israel's war in Gaza.
But Mamdani's criticism of Israel and his democratic socialism are also likely to show up frequently in Republican attack ads. Much of the Democratic establishment had lined up behind the more moderate former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Mamdani seemed ready to embrace his role as a party leader, telling supporters in his victory speech that he would govern the city "as a model for the Democratic Party – a party where we fight for working people with no apology." He vowed to use his mayoral power to "reject Donald Trump's fascism."
Democratic voters say they want a new generation of leaders and a party that concentrates on economic issues, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll earlier this month.
While Mamdani enters the general election as the favourite in a city dominated by Democrats, the race is more unsettled than usual.
Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, is running as an independent after his popularity plummeted following his indictment on corruption charges and the subsequent decision by Trump's Justice Department to drop the case. Cuomo also retains the ability to run as an independent, though he has not yet decided whether to do so.
The Republican candidate is Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels. Jim Walden, a former federal prosecutor, is running as an independent, as well.
The primary had become a two-man race by Election Day between Mamdani and Cuomo, echoing other Democratic nominating contests in which the party's establishment and liberal wings have wrestled for power. But it was also a generational clash between Mamdani and Cuomo, the 67-year-old scion of a New York political family.