Mamdani Momentum Defining A New Generation Of Progressive Politics

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 28, 2025, 2:42 AM

mamdani momentum defining a new generation of progressive politics

Initially an unknown Queens assemblyman, Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani became a winning favorite in the New York City mayoral race, leading to thousands of Americans refreshing their feeds the night of Nov. 4 to see if he would beat the former New York governor Andrew Cuomo. The 34-year-old Indian Muslim won the race with 50.4% of the vote against Cuomo, but his successful campaign reached far beyond the five boroughs and garnered nationwide attention. On election night, Mamdani was asked, “What do you think it means to be a Democratic socialist?” Mamdani’s answer was simple: “It means that every New Yorker has what they need to live a... It’s the local government’s responsibility to provide that.” There is a rising number of progressive candidates being elected into office with the support of younger generations who are looking for policies of affordable housing, childcare and accessible public transportation, all key promises...

Karli Calo, a fourth-year philosophy and political science double major and president of the Political Science Club at Seattle University, spent her summer volunteering for Seattle mayor-elect Katie Wilson. Watching Mamdani’s campaign unfold, she realized that the energy fueling New York City’s race was something she could help bring to her own city. “I do think all eyes were on New York,” Calo said. “I think that the fact [Mamdani] had such good momentum, I saw myself focusing on Seattle; I live here, I don’t live in New York City.” CALIFORNIA – Consortium Brand Partners announced December 16 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) for a reported $300 million. I’ve lived in the same spot for 30 years, but lately, my Social Security check is gone before the month ends.

I was literally eating toast for dinner to save money. Then a friend at the senior center showed me Food Radar. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes. The map showed five different spots within 2 miles of my apartment giving away food today. I drove to the closest pin—a local church pantry. They filled my trunk with fresh vegetables, milk, and canned goods.

I didn't know this help was right under my nose the whole time. If you open a classic KJV Bible to Psalm 92:10 or Job 39:9, you will see the word "Unicorn." Is the Bible a book of fairy tales? Did mythical creatures actually exist in ancient Israel? Critics mock believers for this. But the mystery lies in a translation error from 1611. There’s a quiet shame that comes with midlife prayers.

I’ve prayed faithfully for decades — for my family, my work, my fears, my regrets. But somewhere along the way, my prayers became rushed. Repetitive. Almost transactional. A bombshell came crashing into the White House health narrative Monday when longtime cardiologist Jonathan Reiner publicly rejected the official spin on President Trump’s recent MRI, calling the explanation “laughable” and suggesting the whole... Washington, DC — Amid the autumn chill, more than 160,000 New Yorkers came out over the weekend to cast their early votes, breaking records and showing unusual enthusiasm that has turned this year's New...

Queues were seen around blocks in Brooklyn and Queens in NYC, where voters cited frustration over soaring rents, subway delays, and ongoing uncertainty as reasons to arrive early. "This isn't just about who fixes the potholes," Maria Gonzalez, a 42-year-old teacher waiting in line in Jackson Heights, told local media. "It's about whether New York stays a place for people like us or turns into a playground for the billionaires." The surge comes exactly one week before Election Day on November 4, with Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old state assemblyman and Muslim democratic socialist, holding a clear lead in the latest polls over... Analysts point to the huge early turnout, particularly strong in the outer boroughs that carried Mamdani to victory through the June primary, as a worrisome sign for his opponents, who have poured millions into... When Zohran Mamdani clinched a major primary win in New York City, few expected it would spark a tidal wave of political ambition across the country.

But that’s exactly what happened. Since his breakthrough victory, over 10,000 young progressives have signed up with a grassroots group dedicated to getting leftist candidates elected — a record-shattering number. It’s being called “The Mamdani Effect,” and it’s redefining how the next generation views political power. Zohran Mamdani is a Democratic Socialist and state assembly member in New York, representing a wave of young, outspoken progressives unafraid to challenge the status quo. Born to immigrant parents and raised in Queens, Mamdani ran on a platform that included housing justice, healthcare for all, and economic equity. His primary win wasn’t just a personal milestone — it was a signal.

A message that young, unapologetically progressive candidates can not only run but win. Within weeks of Mamdani’s win, a national political group focused on empowering young leftist candidates reported an explosion in interest. Over 10,000 people signed up to explore running for office — more than triple the usual number during election off-seasons. For a generation of American progressives, the political journey of the last decade feels almost mythic — a cycle of insurgency, establishment resistance, partial victories, and reinvention. It began with tents in financial districts (Occupy), washed through two high-energy Bernie Sanders campaigns, and now seems to be reaching a new phase in the streets and boroughs of New York City, where... But the story isn’t just about elections.

It’s about how insurgent politics — driven by younger generations and radical dreams of economic and racial justice — keeps chafing against the very institutions that claim to share its goals: party establishments, legacy... And nowhere is that tension more visible than in the rivalry between Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo — a generational collision that mirrors the Left’s longer struggle with itself and the broader political elite. McPherson’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. In the winter of 2011, Occupy Wall Street exploded onto the American political scene with a deceptively simple slogan: We are the 99%. It called bullshit on runaway inequality and corporate capture, gave a language to economic frustration, and kicked off the most sustained left-wing insurgency the U.S.

had seen since the 1960s. Occupy’s power wasn’t just its anger — it was its insistence that systemic inequality wasn’t rhetorical, marginal, or niche. It was structural. It was everywhere. And you didn’t need permission to see it. That message reverberated in the campaigns that followed.

Candidates Andrew Cuomo (left) and Zohran Mamdani shake hands during a mayoral debate in New York on Oct. 16. Angelina Katsanis/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption When state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo faced off in the first New York City mayoral debate of the general election, the generational battle within the Democratic Party was on full display. Cuomo was long a member of Democratic royalty, leading New York as governor for nearly 11 years after serving in the Clinton administration.

His late father, Gov. Mario Cuomo, was a Democratic Party icon. Again and again, Cuomo hammered the idea that his deep resume makes him uniquely qualified to lead America's biggest city. "This is no job for on-the-job training," Cuomo said during the Oct. 16 exchange, painting Mamdani as a political novice with left-leaning ideas outside the mainstream. "He never has had a job.

On his resume it said he interned for his mother. This is not a job for a first-timer."

Mamdani Momentum Defining A New Generation Of Progressive Politics

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