Is Zohrmentum a sign for Democrats nationally?
Can Zohran Mamdani win the fight for New York City — and a more progressive Democratic Party?
The news this week from New York is that former Governor Andrew Cuomo is no longer seen as an inevitability. While the numbers still favor Cuomo overall, and the impact of ranked-choice voting isn’t clear, it’s now a two-candidate race, and the gap has narrowed considerably. One pollster is even putting democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in the lead. The final debate happens tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern, as the two leaders (who’ve been battling it out with ad campaigns this week) try to position themselves as the best candidate to fight back against Donald Trump, the real opponent in this race.
Now, if recent elections at every level are any guide, these numbers may mean little. But in a race widely seen as a window into the future of Democratic Party politics, it’s a positive sign that a strongly progressive candidate can even mount a strong challenge to a centrist with overwhelming name recognition and billionaire backing.
And with less than two weeks to the primary, it’s a great time to take a look back at some of our coverage of the New York City mayoral race.
Your support is how we keep the lights on, pay our writers and editors a fair wage, and build the new media we all deserve. When you subscribe, you help us reach more people. Join us today, or if you are already a member, give a gift or group subscription.
Join us for Live conversations next week!
On Monday, June 16, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, we’ll talk to scholar of authoritarianism Ruth Ben-Ghiat. Then on Tuesday, June 17, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, we’ll have a musical conversation with musician, activist, and author Adam Met. And on Wednesday, June 18, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, Omar El Akkad, author of One Day, Everyhone Will Have Always Been Against This, will join our Book Club meeting.
To join and watch, download the Substack app (click on the button below) and turn on notifications — you’ll get an alert once we’re live, and you can watch, chat, and even participate in the conversation during our Book Club meetings from your iOS or Android mobile device. If you’re using a computer, you can also watch (and ask questions in the text chat) on our homepage.
