The nomination of socialist Zohran Mamdani as the Democratic New York City mayoral candidate has turned the race into a battleground for the Republican Party to lodge a rare victory in urban America.
This contest is set against the backdrop of President Trump’s rebranding of the Republicans as the party of the working class, which has gained success nationwide but struggled in major cities.
Over two decades ago, as president of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club, I began to witness first-hand the steep climb Republicans face in securing victories. The club’s modest goal was to elect a few city council members from the outer boroughs. Today, while New York City’s political landscape remains heavily Democratic, Mamdani’s radical platform, which includes launching government-run supermarkets, has sparked fresh debate about Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa’s viability as a candidate who can appeal beyond traditional GOP voters…