By winning the Mayoralty of New York, Zohran Mamdani didn’t just beat a rival.
The self-described Democratic Socialist beat an entire brand of centrist, steady-as-she-goes politics that implies voters are frightened little birds who can’t take harsh realities, espoused by his rival Andrew Cuomo.
Instead, Cuomo and other centrist Democrats think people must be coaxed along with buzzwords and a tried and tested platform – something we see all too frequently in the UK, too.
Working on Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, I argued that voters wanted someone to ‘flip the f****ng table’.
No one cared whether the table-flipper came from the right like Trump or the left like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Voters wanted an outsider – they just cared about change, because the whole damn system – from healthcare to cost of living and immigration to transport – wasn’t working for them.
It’s easy to run on fear and provocation, and just hope voters will fall in line.
But Mamdani ran on something different: Hope, with a clear and present plan for change – and his win gives politicians on this side of the Atlantic a lesson, if they are bold enough to embrace it.
Make everyday life cheaper and easier, and do it like you mean it.
Mamdani’s key pledges – homes people can actually afford, freezing rent, expanding tenants’ rights and free buses paid for by a hefty tax on the wealthy – spoke directly to New Yorkers’ lives.
That clarity delivered a major upset against a three-term governor and the incumbent mayor in the primary, then a sweeping victory in the general election.
Unlike Cuomo, Mamdani named the villains, and was vocal in his opposition to them.
He defined himself in open opposition to Trump.
