Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, won New York City’s mayoral race Tuesday night, becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor and signaling a sharp left turn for the Democratic Party.
Mamdani is a Marxist in the truest sense of the word. He campaigned on rent freezes, expanded public housing, higher taxes on the wealthy, as well as “free” busing and “free” childcare. Whether Mamdani will be able to deliver any of these things is an open question. What’s clear is that he believes he has a political mandate to do so and sees the government as a vehicle to turn around a city in decline.
“We will prove that there is no problem too large for government to solve, and no concern too small for it to care about,” Mamdani purred following his win. In some ways, it’s no surprise Mamdani won. New York City voters have every right to be upset with the stagnant economic conditions in their city. Moreover, the top rival candidate, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), had been accused of sexual harassment, forced from office, and widely criticized for his disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic…