Progressive upstarts shake up 2025 mayoral races in challenge to Democrats

Left-wing challengers to sitting Democratic mayors are shaking up at least four major races this year, tapping into exploding anger at the party's establishment leaders.Why it matters: The races will offer early clues into the mood of progressive voters and the direction of the Democratic Party ahead of the midterms and the 2028 election.The big picture: Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary sparked a political earthquake after the 33-year-old democratic socialist ran a grassroots campaign focused on affordability in America's largest city.His win garnered national coverage and highlighted the divisions within the Democratic Party over its direction on the war in Gaza, anti-poverty programs and public spending.He's one of many left-wing candidates from diverse ethnic backgrounds jolting Democratic cities.In Minneapolis, state Sen. Omar Fateh, another young democratic socialist, claimed the local Democratic Party's endorsement this month for mayor over two-term sitting Democratic Mayor Jacob FreyFateh's endorsement came at a convention of party insiders, not a citywide primary that might have been more favorable to Frey, whom critics see as too cozy with police and big business.Still, the endorsement was a significant coup for left-wing activists. It was the first rebuke of a sitting mayor by party members in more than 80 years.Fateh, the son of Somali immigrants, has supported rent control since before "freeze the rent" became a Mamdani campaign slogan.In Seattle, Katie Wilson, the co-founder and general secretary of a transit advocacy group, is seeking to unseat Mayor Bruce Harrell in a nonpartisan race.Wilson says Harrell — a lawyer who previously served three terms on the city council — has been too focused on removing homeless encampments around the city while failing to provide adequate services and shelter beds.Records show Wilson has been outpacing other challengers in fundraising.In Albuquerque, N.M., Alex Uballez, a former U.S. attorney under President Biden, is challenging fellow Democratic Mayor Tim Keller, who has faced criticism over crime, development mishaps and the police chief's behavior.Uballez, the son of a Chinese immigrant mother and an L.A. Chicano musician, is running on a progressive platform that prioritizes protecting immigrants and combating income inequality.What they're saying: "People don't feel their needs represented and they want leaders who will work as hard as they do to make things better," Uballez said in a statement to Axios.Uballez said the status quo isn't working and voters are ready for a change in Albuquerque."Locally, career politicians backed by corporate interests have presided for years over skyrocketing costs of living and out-of-control homelessness," Wilson's campaign said in a statement.Reality check: Democratic incumbents aren't going down without a fight. They are organizing other elected Democrats to help take on the progressive upstarts while dismissing the processes that fostered the progressive mavericks' rise.For example: "This election should be decided by the entire city rather than the small group of people who became delegates," Frey campaign manager Sam Schulenberg said in a statement about the Minneapolis race.Between the lines: The races show that progressive voters are fired up and looking for candidates that reflect their values, Alexis Anderson-Reed, president of the progressive civic engagement network State Voices, tells Axios."I'm seeing our base expanding even more, and it's becoming more multi-generational, multi-racial," Anderson-Reed said.What we're watching: The reaction by the Democratic Party to the progressive upstarts could dampen or galvanize left-leaning voters ahead of the 2026 midterms.Go deeper: Wary Democratic establishment keeping New York's Mamdani at arm's lengthMeet the 7 people challenging Bruce Harrell for mayorScoop: Former Biden U.S. attorney to run for Albuquerque mayor

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