Zohran Mamdani is the next NYC Mayor: what that means for progressive politics

UP to election day on November 4th, conservative Democrats, Republicans ("New York Republicans Unite in Attacking Mamdani," New York Times) and the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal and newly decidedly right wing editorial pages of the Washington Post were up in arms about the possibility of a "socialist Muslim" becoming mayor of the US's largest city.  The Times was equivocal but resigned.

The New York Post of course was pretty shrill.

Note that there are or have been some great Muslim mayors in big cities ("The Meaning of a Muslim Mayor," The Nation).  

Naheed Nenshi in Calgary--termed out, now leader of the New Democratic Party at the provincial level ("Nenshi's former aides see an eerily similar story in New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani," National Post, "Naheed Nenshi leaves behind a historic legacy as Calgary mayor," Toronto Globe & Mail).

Sadiq Khan in London ("London’s Mayor Says Mamdani’s Victory Mirrors His Own," New York Times, "Muslim mayor, Jewish voters, Trump rage. London’s lessons for Mamdani.," Washington Post).

Mamdani won pretty decisively ("Mamdani wins New York City mayoral race, in a historic victory for progressive," NPR).  Mamdani victory speech.

Trump, after having called him a communist, met with him this week and spoke well of him ("Trump-Mamdani meeting marked by surprising moments of praise. Here are 9 memorable quotes," CBS News, "Mamdani, Trump’s expected slugfest turns into a lovefest as president says socialist will make NYC ‘greater than ever before’," New York Post).  

The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County is funding a campaign to advertise in New York City with hopes of drawing interest from New York-based businesses and industries. These efforts include advertisements that call on businesses to “break up” with New York. (Courtesy/Business Development Board of Palm Beach County)

South Florida communities have placed billboard ads in NYC seeking to recruit fearful businesses and residents ("Palm Beach County leaders launch campaigns to poach New York-based businesses," Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, "Those NYC billboards sent a message, just the wrong one, to Miami Beach residents Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article312950849.html," Miami Herald), but for the most part, there are far more reasons to stay in NYC ("New York’s Golden Handcuffs: Why the City Has a Special Hold on the Rich," Bloomberg, " Wealthy Buyers Say, ‘Mamdani Who?’ Some are underbidding with the hope of a real-estate panic — but not having much luck," Curbed) than to live in South Florida.

Many conservatives fear that Mamdani will be successful ("Mamdani’s Surreal and Shrewd Pragmatism," New York Times).  From the New York Magazine article "Zohran Mamdani’s Next Act":

We had nearly a year of discussion and debate before voters gave the go-head to Mamdani’s core four promises: freeze the rent, expand early education, make buses fast and free, and open one government-owned grocery store in each borough to help ease New York’s endemic hunger problem. “The residents of the city have spoken, and it’s been very clear, and they’ve done it in amazing numbers, and their response to the Mamdani campaign is that this has to happen,” Dean Fuleihan, a veteran government manager who will be Mamdani’s first deputy mayor, told me. “So I don’t see it as a question of choice.”

Progressives are happy ("A Socialist in the White House," The Nation).  I do fear some of his platform is a bit unrealistic.  Like government run grocery stores. 

But if he can make headway in general, it will be great for revitalizing the Democratic Party-progressive agenda (" How Mamdani built an ‘unstoppable force’ that won over New York," "Mamdani’s victory is a rebuke to the failed strategies of the Democratic party," "Improbable victory for city’s first Muslim mayor offers new playbook for fight against Trump," Guardian, "Zohran Mamdani and the politics of trying," Boston Globe), "Will Mamdani’s Victory Advance a Solidarity Economy in New York City?," "How New York City Mayor-Elect Mamdani Is Bridging Climate Preparedness to Kitchen Table Concerns," NonProfit Quarterly).

However an op-ed in the Post suggests that a contrast between the more centrist "bread and butter" political agenda by the new SF mayor and Mamdani's progressive agenda will be interesting ("Let the natural experiment in Democratic governance begin"). Also see, "Tensions between renters and homeowners challenge Mamdani housing plan," Washington Post.