While the idea of Zohran Mamdani winning the New York mayoral race has moderate Democrats alarmed that his Democratic Socialist policies will cost them at the ballot box, Republicans are reportedly "giddy" over the prospect that he will prevail.
The 33-year-old far-left front-runner has starred in GOP fundraising appeals and digital ad campaigns as Republicans seek to link him in voters' minds to moderate Democrats who represent swing districts in New York City's suburbs and nationwide.
In a recent video, the National Republican Congressional Committee cautioned that Democrats "want to turn America into a socialist, crime-filled dystopia." The House GOP campaign arm featured a clip of Mamdani discussing the "abolition of private property" and how he is "unapologetic" about socialism.
"I've never seen Republicans more giddy about the idea of a socialist mayor of New York City," former Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, a Democrat, told Politico. "They're more excited about this than Mamdani's followers or supporters."
Moderate Democrats have bigger problems than just Republican attacks, however.
Emboldened by the state assemblyman's surprise primary victory in June, Mamdani's allies at the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, are signaling that they intend to mount primary challenges against centrist New York Democrats up and down the ballot, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Democrats, who are fighting to regain national relevance since President Donald Trump's return to Washington, are reportedly afraid that a Mamdani win will threaten their twin aims next year of flipping Republican-held House seats and shoring up support for vulnerable incumbents.
As the party grapples with countering Republican attacks and resisting DSA-backed primary challengers, there is growing recognition among moderate Democrats that they must move quickly to distance themselves from Mamdani.
The Mamdani campaign told Politico that moderates should instead get on board with his message.
"The facts are pretty clear: Zohran won the most votes of any candidate in primary history, galvanized thousands of new and first-time voters, and did all that while running on a consistent, relentless agenda of affordability," Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec said in a statement. "It's important to note that the substance of Zohran's policies — not just the style and delivery — was responsive to the affordability crisis people are feeling."
The possibility of a Mamdani-led City Hall has led to the formation of at least five super PACs seeking to end his candidacy. In August, a group that supported former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's primary campaign reported receiving $1.3 million in donations, including $500,000 from cosmetics heir William Lauder.
Those advising the super PACs say that Mamdani's impact on the Democratic Party has been nothing short of apocalyptic.
"Mamdani is the greatest threat to Democrats probably since Ronald Reagan because he's everything Democrats have been accused of being and in fact is — to the extreme," longtime New York Democrat operative Hank Sheinkopf told Politico. "Republican ad makers will know what to do with this."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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