University of Kwazulu-Natal

Mamdani Channels Growing Opposition Into The Dead End Of The Democrati

Bonisiwe Shabane
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mamdani channels growing opposition into the dead end of the democrati

Ever since Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor two months ago, Republicans have been licking their chops, and prominent Democrats have been squirming. The GOP sees this as an opportunity to tie the broader Democratic Party to a self-described socialist with many far-left policies who is well poised to become mayor of the nation’s largest city. And the reaction from some Democrats – many high-profile ones have declined to endorse him – suggests they see potential peril here. The issue is coming to a head. Polls reinforce Mamdani is a strong favorite to become mayor. Congressional Republicans are running ads invoking him as they try to hold onto the US House next year.

And The New York Times reports he’s heard from former President Barack Obama, perhaps signaling a thaw with the Democratic establishment. Now Mamdani is getting the Time magazine cover treatment. So, it’s a good time to ask: How much of a liability could he be for Democrats? It’s still too early to say. Mamdani remains very new on the national and even the local stage, and much will depend on how he runs his campaign and ultimately, if he wins in November, how he governs. There have been some signs of attempted moderation.

It wasn’t long ago that Andrew Cuomo—once New York’s top Democrat—was planning a comeback. But this week, he bowed out of the mayoral race after losing to Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist whose campaign blended TikTok-style charisma, anti-Israel rhetoric, and far-left policy dreams. And now, with Mamdani poised to become the Democratic nominee for mayor of the nation’s largest city, the Democratic establishment is having a full-blown identity crisis. Who is Zohran Mamdani?A self-described socialist, Mamdani represents a slice of Queens in the state assembly and rose to prominence through protest politics, hunger strikes, and social media. He’s the son of a Columbia professor and a Bollywood filmmaker. He once rapped under the name Mr.

Cardamom. And if elected, he’d be New York City’s first Muslim mayor. But critics say Mamdani’s rise is anything but feel-good. Defended the slogan “globalize the intifada,” NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has thrown the drowning Democratic Party a life vest. Will its leaders use it?

As we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation, your support is urgently needed. Please make a year-end gift to Truthout today. Zohran Mamdani’s win in Tuesday night’s Democratic primary for mayor of New York City has delivered a shock to the political establishment nationwide, forcing media pundits and Democratic Party leaders alike to countenance the... As the race between Mamdani and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tightened in the weeks leading up to the election, prognosticators warned that it might take a week or more before results were definitive. That caution, it turned out, was unwarranted.

By 10:20 pm on Tuesday night, it was clear that Mamdani had built an insurmountable lead, and Cuomo announced that he had conceded the race and called Mamdani to congratulate him. 👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Welcome to Congress Nerd, the flagship newsletter from Once Upon a Hill, where I break down the week’s biggest congressional storylines and chronicle the politics, policy and power players shaping the Democratic Party in... If you haven’t already, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to unlock the Sunday edition I publish weekly when Congress is in session. It’s packed with smart scoops, floor previews and what I’m tracking on the Hill to help you create the change you want to see. In tonight’s edition, Democrats mount a unified defense of DEI, Cortez Masto’s gambling bill hits a GOP wall, Texas faces staggering flood losses, the Senate braces for a rescissions clash, Trump escalates his trade...

But let’s start with the brewing fight between Democrats playing to win power in Washington and those trying to redefine what power should look like in the first place. IN THE WEEKS since Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani’s surprise victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, online calls to challenge establishment Democrats—including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)—have intensified. Candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a Democratic New York City mayoral primary debate, June 4, 2025, in New York, US. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/Pool via REUTERS The recent political rise of Zohran Mamdani should alarm anyone who still believes in responsible governance, democratic values, and basic moral clarity. Mamdani, a self-proclaimed socialist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, represents a dangerous shift in New York City politics — and perhaps American politics more broadly.

He has openly called to defund the police, abolish prisons, and dismantle ICE — positions that would undermine law, safety, and justice in a city already reeling from rising crime and instability. Mamdani’s ascendance is not a sign of progress — it is a symptom of a political ecosystem that has lost control of its messaging, especially within the Democratic Party. This is not just about his radical policies. It’s about what his rhetoric signals. Mamdani has a deeply troubling record of antisemitic statements, including his refusal to denounce the phrase “globalize the intifada” — a call that glorifies violence and terror. Worse still, he once outrageously compared that slogan to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, drawing an offensive and historically illiterate parallel between Jewish Holocaust resistance fighters and modern-day terrorist movements.

Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on growing divisions within the Democratic Party following the primary win of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani. Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's stunning Democratic Party primary victory in the nation's most populous city appears to be the gift that keeps on giving for Republicans aiming to paint Democrats as extreme radicals. Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley told Fox News Digital this week that Mamdani "is the face of the new Democratic Party" and argued that "everybody who wants to lead that party wants to... But for Democrats, the capturing of the party's nomination by the 33-year-old Ugandan-born state assemblyman from Queens is more complicated. The victory by Mamdani, who convincingly topped former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates last month to take a big step toward becoming the city's first Muslim and first millennial mayor, has put long-standing divisions within the Democratic Party back in the...

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As we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation, your support is urgently needed. Please make a year-end gift to Truthout today. Zohran Mamdani’s win in Tuesday night’s Democratic primary for mayor of New York City has delivered a shock to the political establishment nationwide, forcing media pundits and Democratic Party leaders alike to countenanc...