This political world is still reeling after Zohran Mamdani won his historic election as New York City’s first South Asian and first Muslim mayor. But while young people and voters of color were all in for the change that Mamdani campaigned on, what do Black Democrats think of the incoming Mayor of New York City?
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Continuing his tradition of not endorsing candidates in municipal elections, former President Barack Obama called to congratulate him after his win. Obama went on to describe the campaign as “impressive to watch” and offered to be a sounding board to the Mayor-elect if needed.
When asked about Mamdani as a rising star in the party, former Vice President and Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris sidestepped the questions and tried to put the focus on other young Dems.
Waiting until almost the last minute, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries finally gave Mamdani a less-than-enthusiastic endorsement with a week before Election Day.
“Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” Mr. Jeffries wrote in a statement to The New York Times on Oct. 24.
But one prominent Democrat thinks the party could learn a lot from NYC’s new mayor. Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) has gone viral for shutting down her Republican colleagues in Congress with her viral reads. The congresswoman who coined the alliterative phrase “Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Body” to describe Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks New York City’s Mayor-elect has done a masterful job of getting his message across.
During a recent appearance on CNN’s Laura Coates Live, Crockett said that old guard Democrats could take a page out of Mamdani’s book when it comes to addressing voters’ rising concerns about affordability.
“I don’t know that he needs my advice. He’s been a master, and frankly, he could do a master class for all Democrats on communication,” she said.
Taking to Instagram, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) spoke glowingly about the vision for the future that Mamdani campaigned on and how the people of NYC responded to it.
“What you accomplished is historic. You led with a politics of transformation, built a movement campaign that met people where they are, and showed what’s possible when we lay out an affirmative vision for a more just, affordable city,” Pressley’s post read. “The people have spoken, and the Democratic Party should listen to them.”
Without question, Mamdani’s election as the new Mayor of New York City was a major victory for the party’s left wing. As a prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), his victory symbolizes a pathway for progressive democrats to engage their bases in new and fresh ways on the national stage. Against insurmountable odds, his campaign provided a new blueprint in politics by offering a starkly different economic vision for the country, on a platform that included a city-wide Rent-Freeze, affordable housing, free-fare buses, universal healthcare, and more that spoke to millions of New Yorkers.
For Black Democrats, whether they be progressive or centrists, they should be paying close attention to Mamdani’s win and maybe take a page or two out of his playbook.
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