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Rattled Democrats

216 0
08.08.2026

THE rise of Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed signals a deeper shift inside American politics: younger voters, frustrated at rising costs at home and America’s support for Israel, are no longer responding to the political scripts that once made Muslim and pro-Palestinian candidates appear unelectable.

Last year, Zohran Mamdani upended expectations when he was elected mayor of New York City. Suddenly, America’s largest city had a leader who was young, Muslim, pro-Palestinian and socialist. For the Democratic Party establishment, the victory represented a political nightmare: a candidate who rejected several of its long-held assumptions had won one of the country’s most visible offices. In the months since, the news has only become more unsettling for party insiders. Recent polls show Mamdani is now one of the most popular Democratic politicians in the US.

This week, the Democratic Party establishment had to contend with another shock after Democratic primary elections were held in Michigan, a swing state that has been the site of many hard-fought electoral battles. Abdul El-Sayed, a public health official in Michigan, won and will now be the party’s candidate for the US Senate this November. He will face Republican candidate Mike Rogers. Can........

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