A Non–New Yorker’s Guide to the NYC Mayor’s Race

For many, New York is the image that flashes to mind when people think of the United States.

Katz’s Deli. Derek Jeter. The Central Park Five. The Notorious B.I.G. Casey Neistat. Wall Street. My version of New York exists entirely through YouTube videos, movies, TV shows, and photographs. And I know I’m not alone.

Since I can remember I always yearned to be a New Yorker. The speed. The food. The music. The culture. The sheer density of life. There’s something about it that has always pulled at me. It feels like the most American place in America. A place where life is full and the entire range of human experience is on display at every hour of the day.

Now New York has become something else too. It is the political pulse point of the country, especially within the Democratic Party. I have never seen a local mayoral race capture this much national attention from people who do not live there. People who have never stepped onto a subway platform or eaten a bodega sandwich or seen a rat the size of a small dog or nearly been clipped by a Citi Bike are suddenly invested in a race they cannot vote in.

So what is going on? Why does this race matter? And more importantly for those of us watching from afar, what should we actually know?

One name is at the center of it all. Zohran Mamdani.

I will be honest. I did not know who Mamdani was a week ago. Maybe I was late to the game. Or maybe that makes me the perfect person to offer a fresh perspective. Since then, I have been reading, watching, and listening.

Depending on where you sit politically, you have probably seen very different portrayals of him. To some, he is a bold visionary. A leader with intelligence, charisma, and lived experience. A Democrat with a plan to address affordability, equity, and justice in one of the most expensive cities in the world. To others, he is a threat. Muslim. Foreigner. Socialist. Un-American. The attacks practically write themselves and they have.

After Mamdani emerged as the frontrunner in New York’s Democratic primary for mayor, the right-wing media exploded. President Trump posted online calling him a “one hundred percent communist lunatic.” Conservative critics have claimed he is even further left than Bernie Sanders. Representative Elise Stefanik from New York has labeled him a “communist.”

Based on my own research, I feel confident in saying he is not.

From what I have found Mamdani is thirty-three years old. He was born in Uganda to Indian parents. His father was a Columbia University professor teaching abroad at the time. Mamdani is currently a sitting member of the New York State Assembly and became a naturalized United States citizen in 2018. He is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America and describes himself as a democratic socialist. Based on his website his platform focuses primarily on making New York more affordable for everyone. City-owned grocery stores. Rent freezes. Free public buses. Subsidized child care.

That may sound radical to some, but many political scientists and economists across the political spectrum have publicly rejected the idea that Mamdani is a communist. In fact, many of his policies are consistent with systems in countries like Canada and France, where public goods such as child care and transit are widely accessible. He is not calling for the government to seize private property or dismantle capitalism. In fact, his platform includes proposals to make it easier to start and run small businesses.

Stanford professor Anna Grzymala-Busse put it clearly. “Communism involves a centrally planned economy with no market forces. Mamdani is not calling for anything like that.”

So why the backlash?

Because in American politics, words like socialist and communist are still used as easy tools to discredit and diminish politicans. Mislabeling opponents has long been a go-to tactic for both political parties, and right now, Mamdani is the latest target.

I’m certain a sizeable portion of the public doesn’t actually know what these terms mean, at least not beyond the way they get thrown around in political arguments or cable news soundbites. So before we move forward, let’s take a moment to break them down, so that we can have thoughtful and informed conversations about this mayoral race.

Communism (noun)
An economic and political system where the government owns and controls all property, businesses, and industries. Under communism, there is no private property, and the state determines what gets produced, how much it costs, and who gets it. The idea, in theory, is to eliminate class divisions and create a society where everyone shares resources equally. (Communism, Encyclopædia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/communism)

In practice, however, communist regimes in the 20th century such as the Soviet Union under Stalin or China under Mao became authoritarian (that is for another time). Those who opposed the government were often silenced, elections were undemocratic or nonexistent, and millions of people suffered from government oppression, censorship, and even famine. That’s why we should be careful when calling someone a communist, the word still carries strong, often negative meaning and brings to mind extreme and oppressive histories.

Socialism (noun)
A political and economic philosophy that advocates for more public ownership or control of key services and resources, such as healthcare, education, or transportation. Unlike communism it does not mean abolishing private property or eliminating markets. In fact, many democratic countries including places like Sweden, Canada, Germany, and France have incorporated socialist policies while maintaining free elections, private businesses, and civil liberties. (What Does Socialism Mean?, Encyclopædia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/question/What-does-socialism-mean)

When someone calls themselves a Democratic Socialist, like Mamdani or Senator Bernie Sanders, they are usually advocating for things like universal healthcare, stronger labor protections, affordable housing, and public investment in education. Their emphasis is generally on reducing inequality and expanding the safety net, not tearing down capitalism entirely.

Now that we’ve covered the basics:

We can move on hopefully with a clearer understanding of what these labels actually mean, and why casually throwing them around without context can do more harm than good.

But this race is about more than just labels and Zohran Mamdani. It is about what New York represents. It is about the direction of the country going forward.

Mamdani’s rise I believe is signaling a shift in American politics. He is young, progressive, multilingual, and pro-Palestinian. He is not afraid to speak about systemic issues in housing, transit, and policing. He has tapped into a growing dissatisfaction among younger voters who feel alienated by status quo politics and he is offering an alternative vision.

That vision is not without criticism, even from the left and even from me. Questions remain about how his policies would be implemented, what trade-offs they might require, and how he would manage the realities of running a city as large and complex as New York.

Some things though are undeniable. Mamdani has run an effective campaign. The media his team has produced, the consistency of his messaging, his willingness to appear on a wide range of platforms, and his accessibility to his base are all things any politician regardless of ideology can take notes from. You don’t have to agree with his politics to recognize and acknowledge a well-executed campaign when you see one.

No matter how you feel about Mamdani, this much is clear. This race is not just about New York. It is about the future of progressive politics in America. It is about who defines what is mainstream, especially within a Democratic Party still searching for its identity after losing the 2024 election.

Mamdani will face Republican Curtis Sliwa and independent incumbent Eric Adams in the general election this November. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo (a disgraced politician with a long list of scandals) has also left open the possibility of running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary.

So if you are like me, watching from the outside, pay attention. Not just to all the noise, but to the substance to what’s really being said. To what it means when someone like Mamdani becomes a symbol of both hope and fear in American politics, and how New York City remains one of the most captivating places in the world.