The Memo: Mamdani raises left’s hopes of a new wave |
Progressives are on the march again in the Democratic Party — and the question is whether their momentum can be sustained.
The case that the progressive tide will keep rising is built around the tangible excitement sparked by some prominent left-wing candidates, the frustration among many Democratic voters with their party leadership, and the capacity of President Trump to mobilize his opponents as much as he does his supporters.
Voices that are more skeptical of the left caution against extrapolating national trends from a handful of elections and argue that most contests at the state level and beyond are still won in the center ground. They also look back to last fall, when then-Vice President Kamala Harris was cast by Republicans as left of the mainstream on issues such as trans rights.
The prime reason for excitement on the left right now is the New York City mayoral race, where democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is a strong favorite to win.
Mamdani, who if elected would become the first Muslim mayor of the nation’s largest city, was seen as a marginal candidate when he entered the Democratic primary as a little-known state assembly member. But a wave of enthusiasm from younger voters, the appeal of his call to make New York City more affordable, and the salience of his opposition to Israel's actions in Gaza helped create an unlikely juggernaut. Mamdani defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) by double digits in the primary.
Cuomo, a far more establishment-friendly figure, decided to continue his campaign as an independent. Some recent polls have shown the race tightening, but almost all of them show Mamdani retaining the lead. Cuomo........