What Zohran Mamdani's Election Means—& The Work He Must Now Do
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
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Democratic Socialists of America
15 min read
Mamdani is explicitly identified as a democratic socialist, and the article argues his win signals the viability of democratic socialist platforms. Understanding the DSA's history, structure, and policy positions provides essential context for evaluating these claims.
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New Deal
1 min read
The article directly references 'New Deal-era economics' as embodying 'the ideals of democratic socialism' and the source of America's prosperous middle class. Understanding the actual policies and debates around FDR's New Deal illuminates the historical precedent Mamdani's platform invokes.
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Rent regulation in New York
16 min read
Rent freezes on stabilized apartments are a key Mamdani proposal, and the article notes the Rent Guidelines Board's independence from mayoral control. The complex history of NYC rent regulation explains why this is politically contentious and what institutional constraints the mayor faces.
First of all: hell yes.
This is the first time I’ve felt joy about anything in American politics for a long time. Let’s quickly talk about what this means.
ICYMI 👉 I’m hosting what’s sure to be a lively Live today with at 12pm ET/9am PT: Rewilding Reality in the Age of Deepfakes, AI, & Epistemic Collapse.
Hope to see you there! Come with comments and questions!
What Mamdani’s Win Means for NYC & America
There is so much to be excited about that it would require a long-form report to capture it all: the focus on practical change based on actual voter needs, the loud message to the Democratic Party that there is a broad coalition (including the fabled youth vote) that will win elections if they produce appealing candidates, and the rejection of xenophobia—to highlight just a sample among so much more.
For now, as I continue to process my thoughts (I’ll probably update this piece in the days and weeks to come!), what I want to foreground is that the weaponization of “socialist” as a slur doesn’t work anymore. Class consciousness is here and it’s surging.
This is seismic.
What’s been amply clear for years now is that the Democratic party lost the plot, seeking almost exclusively to reinforce status quo neoliberalism, foremost in currying favor with the center right and placating the ultra-wealthy. In a nutshell: they haven’t been listening to their voters. Wealth inequality is at record levels, and it’s sparking what it historically tends to spark: rage. Left unchecked, that rage can spark collapse:
The stock market may be booming on the back of AI investment (which looks more and more like a bubble every day), but jobs are decreasing and inflation is continuing to rise (albeit at slightly less catastrophic levels than a few years ago), which means that everyday people are taking the hit. It’s not abstract for us, it’s palpable. Indeed: “It’s the economy, stupid.”
Looking at the data, it’s pretty simple: the happiest countries are social democracies. Fighting wealth inequality means regulation that disincentives and outright prevents unchecked accumulation. If Mamdani can pull off even a fraction of what he claims are his goals, we’ll be headed squarely in that direction—in the beating heart of the capitalist enterprise: the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the world.
To be clear: how this would manifest at
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