Mamdani S Nyc Primary Win Exposes Growing Democratic Party Divisions

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Oct 23, 2025, 3:48 AM

mamdani s nyc primary win exposes growing democratic party divisions

The 33-year-old's success prompted varied reactions in the city. Just hours after Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani declared victory in New York's mayoral primary on Wednesday, a small group of business leaders convened with Mayor Eric Adams, who bypassed the Democratic primary and is... Attendees were focused on strategizing how to prevent Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assembly member, from winning the mayoralty -- and assessing whether Adams was the strongest contender to oppose him in November. Among those present was former NYC mayoral candidate and former hedge fund executive Whitney Tilson, who recently shared a debate stage with Mamdani. Tilson described Mamdani as "very charming and charismatic," but added he sharply disagrees with Mamdani's policies and that "[a small fraction] of New York City voters picked him… It's a totally rigged closed primary." Tilson told ABC News when it became clear the race was between two people, he had hoped former New York Gov.

Andrew Cuomo would win. He said he would "...continue for the next 130 days what I began in earnest 45 days ago -- to make sure Zohran Mamdani, an unqualified radical socialist, does not become mayor of our... Updated on: November 4, 2025 / 11:56 PM EST / CBS News Washington — Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's victory on Tuesday in the New York City mayoral race is already fanning the debate about the future of the Democratic Party and what his sudden political stardom... "We hope this is demonstrating a very powerful way forward," said Ashik Siddique, a national co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America. "This election proves that democratic socialist ideas are very popular."

Mamdani ran on promises to confront economic inequality and cost-of-living issues, vowing rent freezes for residents of rent-stabilized units, affordable housing construction, free — and faster — bus service, free childcare, city-owned grocery stores... His victory is the biggest win for progressives since Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated 10-term incumbent Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley in 2018. But history suggests his success isn't likely to translate to a progressive sweep nationwide. 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... NEW YORK (AP) — The stunning success of Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist, in the race for New York City mayor has exposed anew the fiery divisions plaguing the Democratic Party as...

A fresh round of infighting erupted among Democratic officials, donors and political operatives on Wednesday, a day after Mamdani’s leading opponent, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, conceded the Democratic primary. Mamdani appears on a glide path to the nomination, though ranked choice vote counting will determine the final outcome next week. Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, center left, appears on stage with his wife, Rama, mother, Mira Nair Duwaji, left, and father, Mahmood Mamdani, at his primary election party, in New York, Wednesday, June 25,... (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa) New York State senator James Sanders Jr., center, talks with supporters of mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo during a Democratic mayoral primary watch party for candidate Andrew Cuomo, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in New York.

(AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Many progressives cheered the emergence of the young and charismatic Mamdani, whose candidacy caught on with viral campaign videos and a focus on the cost of living. But the party’s more pragmatic wing cast the outcome as a serious setback in their quest to broaden Democrats’ appeal and move past the more controversial policies that alienated would-be voters in recent elections. In a stunning upset, 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor. Final results won't be official for several days, but his win has sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party. To discuss Mamdani's win and what comes next, Amna Nawaz spoke with Errol Lewis, political anchor for Spectrum News NY1 and host of the Inside City Hall program.

Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. In a stunning upset, 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani won last night's Democratic primary for New York City mayor. Final results won't be official for several days, but his win has sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party. Mamdani spoke to supporters late last night. Zohran Mamdani (D), New York City Mayoral Candidate: If this campaign has demonstrated anything to the world,it is that our dreams can become reality.

This column was updated to add new information. It was a sweltering Tuesday on June 24 in New York City, when the Democratic primary election for mayor was coming to a boil and Democratic leadership seemed very concerned about one particular campaign. Disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state legislator Zohran Mamdani were polling closer than ever earlier in the day. But results came in, and they came in more decisively than anyone expected Tuesday night. Cuomo conceded the mayoral race less than 90 minutes after polls closed at 9 p.m.

Predictions had been that we'd be lucky to get results by July 1. On my Instagram, everyone was talking about Mamdani – friends, enemies, politicians and celebrities are coming out of the woodwork to voice their support for the democratic socialist. People in my circle are excited about the prospect of a true progressive running New York City – and it seems there’s a lot the Democratic Party could learn from that. These are scary days for Democrats, as one put it to me recently. Democrats don’t have control of the White House, the House or the Senate. Nor do they have a clear leader or, arguably, a clear message — and their approval ratings are at historical lows.

Mamdani S Nyc Primary Win Exposes Growing Democratic Party Divisions

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