Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with the Democratic Party, warned that establishment lawmakers are “in panic” over Assemblyman and New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s primary win on Tuesday.
Newsweek reached out to Mamdani’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) via email for comment Friday.
Why It Matters
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, clinched the first-round vote in the New York City mayoral primary race against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo—43.5 percent to 36.4 percent.
Mamdani’s triumph, built on promises like free city bus rides, free childcare, and city-owned grocery stores, has magnified internal rifts within the Democratic Party
The assemblyman ultimately landed the backing of key lawmakers like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, and Sanders but was largely unknown to New Yorkers when he announced his intent to run, per the Associated Press (AP).
The assemblyman’s win could trigger panic buttons for senators like Chuck Schumer of New York and other Democratic establishment leaders alike, as some pollsters argue that Ocasio-Cortez could potentially challenge Schumer’s Senate seat.
National implications are profound, as similar progressive insurgencies have reshaped electoral strategies—giving credit to politicians like Ocasio-Cortez who harnessed grassroots support and social media engagement to challenge entrenched powers in the Democratic Party.
What To Know
Mamdani’s stunning win represents a changing of the guard of sorts as establishment Democrats like Schumer highlighted Mamdani’s win on social media but did not endorse him.
Similarly, New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul was asked about backing Mamdani in the general election on Thursday but sidestepped directly endorsing him.
The democratic socialist’s platform could alienate centrist Democrats and independents critical in pushing him past the finish line in November. Key platform differences represent a glaring elephant in the room—like Mamdani’s call to implement the Department of Community Safety, if elected.
The department would place outreach workers in subway stations, a stark difference from Hochul’s position of partnering with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to ensure safety for New Yorkers.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, Sanders noted the divide within the party and wrote: “Mamdani won. The establishment is in panic. Billionaires are raising money against him; Trump is ranting; Islamophobes are on the loose. They know what we know: Candidates who stand boldly with the working class can win not only in NYC, but anywhere. Let’s stand with Zohran.”
In an opinion piece published in The Guardian on Friday, Sanders took a swipe at Democratic leadership saying in part, “Will the current Democratic party leadership learn the lessons of the Mamdani campaign? Probably not. Too many of them would rather be the captains on a sinking Titanic, rather than change course.”
Sanders added that the Democrat’s future will not be determined by current leadership but by “the working class of this country.”
What People Are Saying
Grant Reeher, professor of political science at Syracuse University, to Newsweek via email Friday in part: “I’m not sure ‘panic’ is the right response, but I can see how this could blowback on Democrats at the national level, or in places beyond NYC. I’m surprised just how left these Democratic voters—even granted that they are primary voters in NYC—were willing to go at the ballot box. Republicans can point to this to validate their claims that the Democratic Party cannot be trusted not to lurch too far to the left. ‘See what they do when left to their own devices,’ that kind of argument.”
Reeher later added: “If I were a Republican strategist, I’d be telling my clients to soft-pedal their criticism of Mamdani right now—let the process play out and let him get elected. That would help the Republican brand more than anything else.”
Senator Bernie Sanders in part when asked if older Democrats should be worried about being primaried in a question and answer with Politico Magazine published Wednesday: “I think they have a lesson to learn, and whether or not they will, I have my doubts. If you look at the dynamics of this campaign, what you have is older folks voting for Cuomo, the billionaire class putting in millions of dollars into Cuomo, all of the old-time establishment candidates and politicians supporting Cuomo, and he lost.”
Sanders added: “So either you learn a lesson that says, hmm, the other guy, Mamdani, got young people excited. He got young men excited. He created a strong grassroots movement.”
President Donald Trump, a New York native, on Truth Social on Wednesday: “It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor.”
He continued: “We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous. He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he’s not very smart, he’s got AOC+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him. Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!”
X account “The Democrats” wrote on Wednesday: “Congratulations, @ZohranKMamdani! Onward to November.”
What Happens Next?
The New York City mayoral election will now continue to ranked-choice voting, as no candidate received a majority of the vote earlier this week.
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