In an election cycle where the Democrats won multiple mayoralties and governor positions across the U.S., Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York stood out. Mr. Mamdani’s triumph was singular because of his unabashed “democratic socialism” platform, which defeated well-funded Democratic establishment candidate Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent. His win reflects the growing electoral viability of a political tradition hitherto marginalised in U.S. politics: socialism.

Zohran Mamdani-backed candidates excel in congressional primaries

On the surface, Mr. Mamdani’s key promises — rent freezes, public groceries, universal childcare, fare-free buses, and affordable housing — would seem to be standard welfare-state policies familiar in European political economies or Global South democracies. But Mr. Mamdani has pledged to fundamentally restructure the relationship between New York’s city government and its 8.5 million residents, reflecting an ideological clarity rooted in democratic socialist principles, much different from the largely pragmatic Democratic Party mainstream.

What exactly is ‘democratic socialism’? How does it differ from European social democracy— particularly the Nordic model? And how does it differentiate itself from the ‘revolutionary socialism’ associated with Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin?

Political movement

Mr. Mamdani, like many democratic socialists, holds dual membership — he is both a Democrat and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which is not a political party but rather an advocacy platform and membership organisation. The DSA adopted a new programmatic vision at its 2025 National Convention titled ‘Workers Deserve More’. The programme declares its mission to unite workers into a powerful political movement to win the battle for democracy, with the ultimate goal of putting workers in charge of government through a new democratic constitution based on proportional representation that ends the role of money in politics.

This differs fundamentally from European social democracy. The Nordic model seeks to reform capitalism through robust welfare states, progressive taxation and strong labour protections while keeping the capitalist market economy intact. While U.S. leaders like Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders identify as “democratic socialist”, their platforms often align more closely with European social democracy. The DSA, however, aims to gradually replace capitalism itself with “social ownership” of major industries. The programme explicitly identifies capitalism as “the cause of violence, unemployment, and a climate crisis that poses an existential threat to life on earth”, arguing that billionaires control and profit from basic human needs like housing, healthcare, and education.

Yet, this doesn’t mean nationalising every enterprise. A democratic socialist economy would feature democratic planning of major investments — infrastructure, energy, telecommunications — alongside market exchange of consumer goods. Large concentrated industries would be publicly owned and managed by worker and consumer representatives, while many consumer-goods industries would operate as cooperatives. The goal is democratic economic participation — “a government by, for, and of the working class”. Democratic socialists also reject Marxism-Leninism’s ‘vanguard party’ revolution, instead using existing democratic processes — elections, legislation, mass mobilisation — to achieve change. This commitment to pluralism and civil liberties distinguishes them from authoritarian regimes that claimed the socialist mantle.

Mr. Sanders emphasised throughout his presidential campaigns that many programmes U.S. citizens now consider essential — social security, the minimum wage, Medicare — were denounced as ‘socialist’ when first proposed. Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal reforms faced fierce opposition, and ‘democratic socialists’, in Mr. Sanders’s view, only seek to complete Roosevelt’s unfinished project. His refusal to abandon his democratic socialist identity while running competitive national campaigns legitimised socialism in mainstream discourse — DSA membership surged from 6,500 in 2014 to over 85,000 today, with over 13,000 joining in the eight months following Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory.

Mr. Mamdani’s main promises exemplify ‘decommodification’, key to the principles of democratic socialism, which means the removal of essential human needs from private market provisioning and treating them as social rights. His rent freeze treats housing as a right in a city where 68% are renters facing crippling cost burdens. Municipal groceries, universal childcare, fare-free buses, and 200,000 units of permanently affordable housing all transform essential needs from commodities into social rights. These policies follow models already tested in other American cities but represent the most comprehensive decommodification agenda ever proposed for a major U.S. metropolis.

Beyond economics

Democratic socialism extends beyond welfare economics. The DSA’s 2025 programme centres racial justice, noting that “black and brown workers in racially segregated communities bear the brunt of capitalism’s cruelties, suffering especially from poverty wages, discrimination, deportation, and unemployment”. Current priorities include “defeating the far-right, protecting the rights of the working-class, from the U.S. to Palestine, and fighting for democracy”, reflecting an internationalist stance connecting struggles for justice across borders. Environmental sustainability is equally central, combating climate change while rejecting the fossil fuel industry’s “greed and profiteering”.

The DSA was founded in 1982 through a merger of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and the New American Movement by Michael Harrington, whose 1962 book The Other America helped inspire Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty. Harrington, who served as the DSA’s chair, envisioned a multi-tendency organisation that could unite various progressive constituencies such as trade unionists, civil rights activists, feminists, and anti-war progressives, who were fractured during the Vietnam War.

Unlike European socialists who built labour parties, American progressives confronted what Harrington called the Democratic Party’s “left wing of the possible”. This “realignment strategy” is about building progressive power within the Democratic Party while maintaining independent socialist identity—remains contentious. Critics argue it leads to co-optation; supporters counter that electoral irrelevance serves no one.

The DSA has achieved significant electoral victories, with Congressional wins by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018, followed by Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush among others. At the municipal level, democratic socialists have captured city council seats from Seattle to Chicago to Philadelphia.

Yet, Mr. Mamdani’s triumph stands apart. New York City, with a budget of over $100 billion and a population exceeding that of 40 U.S. States, represents one of the most complex and influential examples of American urban governance.

For a democratic socialist to win this prize demonstrates that the movement has transcended niche activism to achieve mainstream electoral viability.

Mr. Mamdani’s victory, for democratic socialist thinkers, validates the theory that substantive reforms and structural transformation require a combination of strong unions, community organisations, and the socialist movement. The prerequisites for success in economic struggles or workplace democracy require organised popular strength and the fact that an estimated 90,000 volunteers mobilised behind Mr. Mamdani’s campaign, suggests that a movement was responsible for catapulting him to power.

Zohran Mamdani’s tenure as New York’s Mayor will now be watched closely to see whether his version of democratic socialism can actually govern, whether “decommodification” can be implemented at scale, whether a city can be run by and for working people and whether the unfinished agenda from the New Deal, as Mr. Sanders put it, can be realised in the U.S.’s largest city.

Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City just after midnight on Thursday (January 1, 2026), taking the oath of office at an historic, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan.

Mr. Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Quran as he took his oath.

“This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mr. Mamdani said.

The ceremony, administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political ally, took place at the old City Hall station, one of the city’s original subway stops that is known for its stunning arched ceilings.

He will be sworn in again, in grander style, in a public ceremony at City Hall at 1 p.m. by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor’s political heroes. That will be followed by what the new administration is billing as a public block party on a stretch of Broadway known as the “Canyon of Heroes,” famous for its ticker-tape parades.

Mr. Mamdani now begins one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics as one of the country’s most-watched politicians.

In addition to being the city’s first Muslim mayor, Mr. Mamdani is also its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, Mr. Mamdani is also the city’s youngest mayor in generations.

Mamdani’s political campaign

In a campaign that helped make “affordability” a buzzword across the political spectrum, the democratic socialist promised to bring transformative change with policies intended to lower the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities. His platform included free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for about 1 million households, and a pilot of city-run grocery stores.

But he will also have to face other responsibilities: handling trash and snow and rats, while getting blamed for subway delays and potholes.

Mr. Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, an academic and author. His family moved to New York City when he was 7, with Mr. Mamdani growing up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims didn’t always feel welcome. He became an American citizen in 2018.

He worked on political campaigns for Democratic candidates in the city before he sought public office himself, winning a state Assembly seat in 2020 to represent a section of Queens.

Mr. Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, will depart their one-bedroom, rent stabilized apartment in the outer-borough to take up residence in the stately mayoral residence in Manhattan.

Mr. Mamdani inherits a city on the upswing, after years of slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent crime has dropped to pre-pandemic lows. Tourists are back. Unemployment, which soared during the pandemic years, is also back to pre-COVID levels.

Yet deep concerns remain about high prices and rising rents in the city.

He’ll also have to deal with Republican President Donald Trump.

During the mayoral race, Mr. Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mr. Mamdani won and mused about sending National Guard troops to the city.

But Mr. Trump surprised supporters and foes alike by inviting the Democrat to the White House for what ended up being a cordial meeting in November.

“I want him to do a great job and will help him do a great job,” Mr. Trump said.

Still, tensions between the two leaders are almost certain to resurface, given their deep policy disagreements, particularly over immigration.

Mr. Mamdani also faces skepticism and opposition from some members of the city’s Jewish community over his criticisms of Israel’s government.

The new mayor and his team have spent the weeks since his election victory preparing for the transition, surrounding Mr. Mamdani with seasoned hands who have worked inside or alongside city government.

That included persuading the city’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, to remain in her position — a move that helped calm fears in the business community that the administration might be planning radical changes in policing strategy.

Published – January 01, 2026 11:01 am IST

The election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City’s next mayor has sent a chill across Israel as people come to terms with the victory of a politician propelled by an outspoken pro-Palestinian message that is rare in U.S. politics.

Israelis across the political spectrum fear that Mr. Mamdani’s election — in the city with the world’s second-largest Jewish population — could foreshadow icier relations with the U.S., Israel’s most important ally. Support for Mr. Mamdani from almost one-third of Jewish voters only added to the pain.

“Very bad,” said Hana Jaeger, a Jerusalem resident, assessing the news the day after the election. “For the Jews, for Israel, for everyone, it’s very bad. What else can you say?”

Mr. Mamdani’s campaign was animated by an array of local economic issues, such as the lack of affordable child care and housing.

But in Israel, his pro-Palestinian platform is all that matters, and it was the strongest illustration yet of a change in attitudes showing a softening of support for Israel among the American public — particularly younger, Democratic voters. This change appears to have been expedited by anger over the brutal war in Gaza launched in response to Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel.

Israeli government officials expressed their outrage sharply, labelling Mr. Mamdani, who is Muslim, as an Israel-hating antisemite. Analysts said their heavy-handed reactions indicated just how concerned they are about the shifting political winds.

“Even where there is a huge concentration of Jewish power, Jewish money, Jewish cultural and political influence — even in this place, an American can be elected with a clear anti-Israeli label on his lapel,” wrote Shmuel Rosner, an analyst at the Jewish People Policy Institute.

“What he did proves that standing up against Israel … can be politically profitable, or at least not harmful.”

Israelis react to the news

Israel has traditionally had a special connection with New York City. It is a popular destination for Israeli tourists and politicians, filled with kosher restaurants and home to an Israeli consulate that focuses heavily on relations with the Jewish community. Hebrew can often be heard on the streets and subways.

But throughout his campaign, the 34-year-old Mamdani, a far-left state lawmaker, alarmed Israelis by openly disavowing the pro-Israel stance traditionally adopted by New York’s mayoral hopefuls.

While he says he supports Israel’s right to exist, he describes any state or social hierarchy that favours Jews over others as incompatible with his belief in universal human rights.

That’s a statement many Israelis view as an affront to the core premise of the country, which was founded as a refuge and homeland for Jews in the aftermath of the Holocaust.

This vision has tested Israel’s democratic ideals; Palestinian citizens of Israel frequently suffer discrimination, and millions of Palestinians live under Israeli occupation in the West Bank.

Mr. Mamdani also has called the war in Gaza a genocide, a charge Israel’s government denies. He’s vowed to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the premier steps foot in the city and signalled he may cut ties with Israeli industry and academia over the devastating war in Gaza.

Such views have drawn accusations of antisemitism from mainstream Jewish groups and supporters of Israel. Still, Mamdani has repeatedly committed to fighting antisemitism and developed strong alliances with centre-left Jewish leaders. The AP Voter Poll found that he won roughly 30% of the Jewish vote.

At his celebration party Tuesday (November 4, 2025) night, Mr. Mamdani said, “we will build a City Hall that stands steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers and does not waver in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism.”

Israelis who tuned in Wednesday (November 5) morning to the country’s popular Army Radio station during their morning commutes heard condemnations — and fear — related to Mr. Mamdani’s victory.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, speculated that the New York “Jewish community’s sense of security” might be harmed by Mamdani as mayor, as he has control over the city’s police force.

Israel’s minister of diaspora affairs, Amichai Chikli, a member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationalist Likud party, posted a stream of anti-Mamdani graphics on social media, including a retweeted photo of the Twin Towers being engulfed in flames after the attacks of September 11, 2001, with the caption “New York already forgot.”

Amichai Chikli also encouraged Jews in New York to relocate to Israel. “The city that was once a symbol of global freedom has handed over its keys to a Hamas supporter,” he said in a social media post.

The extreme rhetoric reflected a deep-seated fear in Israel that American politics are headed in a new direction.

“For a long, long time, American domestic politics were dominated by pro-Israel politicians, pro-Israel views. In large part, they still are,” said Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group. “Mamdani’s win represents that American Jews, specifically the younger generation, are changing and there’s no longer this monopoly of pro-Israel politics in domestic U.S. politics.”

Netanyahu mostly quiet on Mamdani, emphasises relationship with Trump

The Trump administration, which has been hostile to Mr. Mamdani, has largely supported Israel’s actions in Gaza. It is now working closely with Israel to determine the next phases of the reconstruction of Gaza and the ceasefire with Hamas.

Mr. Netanyahu did not immediately comment on the Mamdani win. But his office tried Wednesday (November 5) to remind Israelis that the country’s relationship with the U.S. was still strong.

“We have a bond that is stronger than ever between Israel and the United States right now,” government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said at her daily briefing.

She said the election results did not “undermine the incredible, enormous relationship the prime minister has with President Trump.”

Palestinians celebrate Mamdani’s win

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the sentiment among Palestinians was far from gloomy.

“The election of Mr. Mamdani is truly inspiring,” said Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti. “It reflects a great uprising among the younger generation of the United States, including the Jewish young generation, against political and social injustice.”

“It also shows that the Palestinian issue has become an internal election issue all over the world, including in the United States of America.”

Published – November 08, 2025 12:20 pm IST