Democratic senator openly endorses socialist Mamdani as the embodiment of her party's ideal: "Absolutely!"
In the bustling city of New York, the race for the mayoral seat in 2025 is heating up. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Party's nominee, has emerged as a clear frontrunner, promising a progressive agenda focused on affordability, public services expansion, and social justice reforms.
Mamdani, who is Ugandan-born and represents the New York City borough of Queens, has a platform that includes free city buses, a rent freeze on rent-stabilized housing, the construction of 200,000 new affordable housing units, city-operated grocery stores in each borough, support for universal child care, and a goal for a $30 minimum wage by 2030. He also plans to increase taxes on corporations and individuals earning over $1 million annually.
Mamdani's progressive stance has earned him the backing of progressive champions Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat and a champion of the progressive left, has praised Mamdani and even held an event with him as part of a multipronged push to support him in his push for New York City mayor. Warren also released a social media video praising Mamdani and wrote an opinion piece that appeared in Rolling Stone.
However, Mamdani has faced renewed scrutiny over past statements made on social media in 2020 when he called for defunding the police multiple times. His opponents, including former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running in the general election as an independent candidate, have criticized Mamdani, with Cuomo calling him "anti-police" and arguing that he doesn't understand the need for public safety.
Despite the criticism, Mamdani remains the leading candidate in recent polls, holding around 50% voter support. Polls show Mamdani with strong enthusiasm particularly among Democratic and progressive voters, while candidates like Cuomo and Mayor Eric Adams, who is also running for re-election as an independent candidate, register lower favorability nationally and among NYC residents.
Mamdani's progressive platform sharply contrasts with more centrist or conservative candidates such as Eric Adams and Curtis Sliwa, especially on issues like public transit expansion, aggressive rent policies, and corporate tax increases. Republicans have highlighted multiple radical policy positions that Mamdani has pushed, including defunding police, anti-Israel rhetoric, and kicking ICE out of New York City.
As the general election approaches, Mamdani is aiming to make history as New York City's first Muslim and first millennial mayor. The race is expected to be a tight one, but Mamdani's progressive platform and key endorsements from prominent progressive Democrats have put him in a strong position to win.
[1] Source: New York Times [2] Source: CNN [3] Source: Fivethirtyeight
- Mamdani's progressive policies, such as free city buses, a rent freeze, affordable housing construction, and city-operated grocery stores, have sparked debate about the role of government in addressing health and economic issues, given his plans for corporation tax increases.
- In the realm of war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation, Mamdani's stance on defunding the police has been met with criticism from opponents, like former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who argue that it undermines public safety.
- The 2025 New York City mayoral race, with Mamdani as a leading candidate, presents a significant showing of general-news interest, as progressive champions like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren lend their support to his platform, shaping the political discourse in the city.
