Self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani pulled a stunning upset against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in an overwhelming primary victory Tuesday night. The embattled Cuomo congratulated Mamdani over the phone – just two hours after the polls closed.
The Democratic nominee for mayor attributed his campaigns success to the efforts of NYCs working class.
“We won because New Yorkers have stood up for a city they can afford,” Mr. Mamdani said during his victory speech.
He continued: “A city where they can do more than just struggle. One where those who toil in the night can enjoy the fruits of their labor in the day. Where hard work is repaid with a stable life. Where eight hours on the factory floor or behind the wheel of a cab is enough to pay the mortgage.”
Yes, the mayoral hopefuls campaign has masterfully mobilized an energetic base. But the “unprecedented coalition” in question are not made up of the paycheck-to-paycheck New Yorkers that he wants us to believe.
The electoral map doesnt just fail to reflect his working-class coalition – it flips it. It shows a victory carried by the very neighborhoods his story skips over.
New Yorkers in areas where the median income is above $117,600 backed Mr. Mamdani by 13 points. Middle-income precincts followed right behind. Lower-income New Yorkers? They broke just as hard for Cuomo instead.
Whiter, wealthier, more ideologically driven New Yorkers are certainly overrepresented in this primary. Take Flatbush and East Flatbush – two neighborhoods situated together with comparable populations. Gentrified Flatbush opted for Mamdani by 16 points, versus the Caribbean-dominated East Flatbush, which preferred Cuomo by 37 points.
The difference? About 5,000 more Flatbush voters participated in the primary. Mr. Mamdanis win simply reflects a truism about primaries: Affluent ideologues appear in droves until the general election resets the balance.
Even so, Mr. Mamdani loves to refer to his small donations as an endorsement from NYCs working class. He even urged the citys Campaign Finance Board to raise the $8 million spending cap – a nod to his grassroots support.
But heres another stubborn truth about political campaigns: Americans higher up on the socio-economic ladder are the ones who show up on donor lists – despite the donation size.
When I broke down Mamdanis donor base by ZIP code using NYC Campaign Finance Board data, I found his campaign is no exception.
The same affluent ZIP codes with the highest large-dollar donor participation significantly overlap with those driving Mamdanis “grassroots” small donor base – the very donors he claims represent the citys working class.
Simply put, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, and other wealthy or recently gentrified neighborhoods are writing the big checks and flooding the small ones.
I find the campaigns everyday New Yorker branding – the multilingual videos and the affordability rhetoric – laughable, considering its bankrolled by the same elite political class that working-class New Yorkers stopped from voting progressive candidate Maya Wiley into City Hall in 2021.
But concerned New Yorkers surveying social media for election updates dont need the data to see Mr. Mamdanis affluent voting base.
I couldnt help but notice the social media posts of young women holding their “I voted” stickers, sporting “Hot Girls for Zohran” T-shirts with captions endorsing the self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist.
Most telling to me, however, was Mamdanis social media post after canvassing in the historically black neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant – the photographed residents were a far cry from the Bed-Stuy neighbors I grew up with.
Chances are, many Mr. Mamdani supporters are newly settled New Yorkers, oblivious to progressive Mayor de Blasios disastrous city ruin. After all, New York City has been experiencing a net influx of college-educated Americans aged 20-29 for decades.
Mr. Mamdanis foot soldiers will accuse me of being regressive – even xenophobic – for pointing out their relatively short-lived tenure in the city. Im not against non-natives participating in political discourse and elections.
But its hard to stomach Mr. Mamdanis claim to represent displaced families when his campaign is powered by the very people replacing them – young, childless, college-educated New Yorkers chasing a Sex and the City lifestyle in gentrified enclaves.
Mr. Mamdanis impressive support drives home whats been clear since Barack Obamas 2008 run: the Democratic Party has perfected the modern political campaign.
Democratic campaigns have successfully conquered Downs Paradox – when the costs of voting outweighs the personal benefits. Supporters proudly wear merchandise, flaunt stickers for social credit, volunteer, donate, and thus turn out at the polls. A generation of Americans is radicalized by our universities – Gen Zs perceived oppression compels them to vote. The Democratic campaign playbook has secured Zohran Mamdanis nomination for City Hall.
But heres the disconnect: Mr. Mamdani may claim to run a grassroots, working-class oriented campaign, but college-educated urbanites birthed it. Socialist organizations like the Working Families Party and Democratic Socialists of America fueled it. Progressive celebrities like Lorde, Spike Lee, and Stavros Halkias endorsed it.
A campaigns heart is its most core constituency – and Mr. Mamdanis supporters are anything but the working-class New Yorkers the mayoral hopeful claims to represent.
Daniel Idfresne is a junior at Syracuse University. He’s a Young Voices Social Mobility Fellow and interned for “The Story with Martha MacCallum.” He has written for the New York Post, Newsweek, and The Free Press. Follow him at X.com: @danielidfresne
