In an era of voter disillusionment, Zohran Mamdami’s victory in the New York City mayoral primary is proof that bold, grassroots, and unapologetically progressive campaigns not only inspire, but win. While Democrats across the country scramble to energize their base, Mamdani electrified New Yorkers with a vision rooted in housing justice, public investment, equitable taxation, and a government that works for everyday people, not just the wealthy few.
His landslide primary win over former Governor Andrew Cuomo, a seasoned political heavyweight, wasn’t just a local upset. It was a statement: that the future of democracy must be more accountable, inclusive, and transformative, and we can organize for it.
Shifting Away from the Establishment
Cuomo’s campaign embodied the establishment status quo of the Democratic Party: cautious, corporate aligned, and deeply disconnected from the daily struggles of working class New Yorkers. His platform leaned on outdated tools: tax breaks for developers, vague promises of affordability, and an expanded police presence masquerading as public safety. It reflected a broader trend among centrist Democrats: offering surface-level solutions while avoiding real change for systemic injustices.
Mandami’s victory demonstrates how voters, especially Gen Z and working class communities, are tired of empty promises and are hopeful for the future of democracy. They are demanding leaders who will actually fight for them, housing they can afford, transit they can rely on, and wages they can live on.
And this isn’t just a New York story. From Summer Lee in Pennsylvania to Brandon Johnson in Chicago, and progressive city council wins across the country, there’s a growing movement reshaping the Democratic Party.
A Push for Housing Justice
Cuomo’s housing plan was a textbook case of establishment politics dressed up as progress. His promise to build or preserve 500,000 homes hinged on reviving the 485-x tax abatement, a developer giveaway that, like its predecessor 421-a, cost the city billions while producing mostly unaffordable units. He wanted to fund this scheme with the public workers’ pension funds, essentially gambling people’s retirements to enrich private developers. There’s no meaningful rent control, no protection against displacement, and no structural reform.
Mamdani’s vision couldn’t be more different. He calls for a rent freeze, public ownership models, and union-built, deeply affordable homes. His plan is grounded in the belief that housing is a human right, not a real estate asset.
Public Safety: Control vs. Care
On public safety, Cuomo proposed expanding the NYPD by 15%, doubling down on over-policing and surveillance. It’s a move that would undoubtedly escalate racial profiling and violence, especially in communities already over-policed and under-resourced.
Mamdani’s alternative prioritizes investing in non-police mental health crisis response teams to decrease police brutality and provide direct care to those experiencing psychiatric or substance-related emergencies. This model is not only proven to reduce harm, it also frees up emergency resources and builds trust. Cuomo wants control, while Mamdani offers care.
Taxing the Rich and Empowering Labor
Cuomo’s approach to taxes and labor shows where his loyalties lie, and it’s not with the working class. His silence on a wealth tax speaks volumes. In a city brimming with billionaires, he won’t touch their profits. His only nod to economic justice was a slow-walked $20 minimum wage by 2027, a wage that’s already unlivable today.
Meanwhile, Mamdani proposes a 2% wealth tax on the top 1%, who currently contribute a laughable 0.3% of their wealth annually. That alone would generate billions. He plans to raise the corporate tax rate to 11.5%, funding the services New Yorkers need, such as fare-free transit, universal childcare, public housing, and education.
On labor, Mamdani’s platform centers workers who are constantly overlooked, especially delivery drivers, who are exploited by gig apps that avoid basic labor protections. His plan includes regulations on delivery platforms, wage protections, and benefits for app-based workers so they’re no longer working long hours just to survive. While Cuomo aimed to preserve a system where corporations hoard wealth and workers fight for scraps, Mamdani believes in redistributing power, not just income. His call for a $30 minimum wage and meaningful regulation of exploitative labor models shows a clear understanding that labor doesn’t need pity, it needs leverage. That’s what real leadership looks like.
Building a Truly Livable City
Cuomo’s platform failed to address the basic truth that living in New York is becoming unbearable for most people. He offered no bold plan to reduce the cost of living, just more vague promises tied to market “incentives.” Mamdani’s plan speaks directly to the working-class experience, city-run grocery stores to fight food apartheid or food deserts, fare-free buses, free childcare for new parents, and universal access to early education. He also calls for a reinvestment in the public commons, placing a strong emphasis on reviving and expanding libraries, not just as places of learning but as third spaces that serve youth, families, and entire neighborhoods.
These “third places” (parks, recreation centers, and libraries) are proven to reduce youth incarceration, increase literacy, and provide critical support for caregivers. For mothers in particular, having access to safe, community-centered spaces means greater mental health support, opportunities to rest, and real relief from the pressures of unpaid care work. Mamdani’s vision understands this interconnection, that affordability isn’t just about rent or transit, it’s about time, care, and dignity.
Education, LGBTQIA+ Rights, and Public Good
On education, he dares to ask why elite private universities like NYU and Columbia receive massive tax breaks while CUNY students drown in debt. His proposal to eliminate those exemptions and fund free CUNY tuition is both logical and just. And when it comes to LGBTQIA+ rights, Cuomo offered empty gestures. Mamdani backs his values with a proposed $65 million investment in gender-affirming care, housing for trans youth, and a permanent Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs. He doesn’t just say trans lives matter, he builds policy to prove it.
Cuomo’s campaign was built on incrementalism and deference to corporate power. But Mamdani’s victory signals something deeper, a public appetite for real change, and a demand for politics that speak to people’s daily lives with urgency and compassion. His campaign didn’t just win votes, it mobilized a movement.
In a time when trust in government is crumbling, when people feel ignored and exploited by both parties, Mamdani shows us that progressive politics aren’t a liability, it’s our best hope for saving democracy.
This isn’t just a New York victory. It’s a national call to action. The path forward is a ground up, movement-led politics powered by organizers, workers, tenants, and young people who are done waiting.