Democratic establishment melts down over Mamdani's win in New York

Many Democratic leaders and donors are panicking about Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist who won the party's nomination to be the next mayor of New York City.Why it matters: Establishment Democrats looking to recover from 2024's losses fear Mamdani could hurt the party's brand nationally — while young progressives believe his formula could spread beyond New York.Democratic leaders largely rallied behind former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York's mayoral primary, and Mamdani's shocking victory Tuesday was the latest example of the party's establishment being disconnected from many of its own voters.Driving the news: On Wednesday, many Democratic lawmakers and officials either denounced Mamdani or notably declined to rally around him. Republicans — including President Trump — crowed about Democrats embracing a democratic socialist who has called for reduced police funding and sided with Palestinians in the Gaza war.The top two Democratic leaders in Congress, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, both New Yorkers, declined to endorse Mamdani even as they applauded his victory.New York Rep. Laura Gillen, from Nassau County, called Mamdani the "absolute wrong choice for New York."Rep. Tom Suozzi, also from Nassau County, said he had "serious concerns."Other House Democrats from New York who hadn't backed Mamdani were mostly tight-lipped Wednesday.Reps. Pat Ryan, Josh Riley and Ritchie Torres — who went so far as to say he wouldn't run for governor if Mamdani won — all dodged reporters.Rep. Dan Goldman, asked if he had any thoughts on the result, told Axios: "Not right now."Major Democratic donors — who poured tens of millions into a Super PAC for Cuomo — were having private discussions Wednesday about whether to back an independent run by Cuomo in November's general election, or rally behind unpopular incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who's also running as an independent.The big picture: Some Democrats see the young, energetic Mamdani as a breath of fresh air in a party full of elderly, out-of-touch leaders.They also see him as an unapologetically progressive voice who speaks to the anger among voters whom elites have been slow to recognize.Mamdani's platform — particularly his emphasis on affordability in one of the world's most expensive cities — also appeared to resonate far beyond the activist class of Democrats, according to election returns.Other Democrats see Mamdani — a state Assembly member with a history of controversial comments about Israel and policing — as politically toxic for a party whose national success depends on its ability to attract votes in less progressive places nationwide.Zoom in: Some New York Democrats think that establishment leaders sleepwalked their way into this situation by backing Cuomo, who had significant baggage and ran a risk-averse campaign."The full-on freakout by the establishment is entirely predictable — they do no introspection or soul searching, and instead just lash out," said Lis Smith, a longtime Democratic operative who used to work for Cuomo but has become a critic."This is an outcome of their own creation," Smith added. "If you don't want to lose to a socialist, don't run a fatally flawed candidate like Andrew Cuomo."Democratic luminaries such as former President Clinton, Michael Bloomberg and Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) endorsed Cuomo in the campaign's final weeks. Mamdani gained support from progressive insurgents such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).Flashback: Mamdani repeatedly had called for defunding the New York Police Department — a position he tried to add nuance to during the campaign."We don't need an investigation to know that the NYPD is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety," he posted on X (then Twitter) in June 2020. "What we need is to #DefundTheNYPD."Mamdani also dodged questions about whether Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state — an important issue to many Jewish voters in New York City.The day after Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, Mamdani published a statement criticizing Israel's counterattacks in Gaza, didn't mention Hamas, and said that "a just and lasting peace can only begin by ending the occupation and dismantling apartheid."He also said Palestinians' cause was what brought him into organizing and that the New York State Assembly is a "bastion of Zionist thought."Mamdani has denounced anti-semitism, but some Democrats aren't convinced.Gillen alleged that Mamdani "has demonstrated a deeply disturbing pattern of unacceptable antisemitic comments."Reality check: Many Democratic Party leaders had believed Mamdani's past comments would be disqualifying to most primary voters. They were wrong.Many voters — especially younger ones — in places like New York City sympathize more with Palestinians than Israelis in the current war.Most Democratic lawmakers no longer talk about defunding the police, but many still believe significant police reforms are needed.What they're saying: Julian Mulvey, a founder of the firm Fight Agency, which worked on Mamdani's ads, told Axios: "Zohran's razor-sharp messaging on affordability sliced through millions of dollars of tired attacks. I think the establishment is going to try to outspend us again, but they will fail colossally.""Mamdani won because he defined the key issue of the campaign —affordability and how it affects quality of life — and offered solutions like freezing the rent on rent stabilized apartments, providing better city services and universal childcare," State Assemblyman Robert Carroll said."This was very much Pickett's Charge of what's left of the old establishment," a New York City Democratic strategist said, referring to the failed effort by Confederates at the Battle of Gettysburg. "It was the same result."Mamdani's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

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