Zohran Mamdani declared victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary Tuesday evening.
Since then, a whirlwind of opinions, analysis and discourse has followed after a self-proclaimed democratic socialist won the primary for America’s largest city.
What this win means for the Democratic party nationally and here in Georgia could be consequential to the party’s future.
The win came as a shock to many, with Andrew Cuomo being funded by Fix the City, a super PAC that raised over $20-million to elect the former Governor of New York.
Barrett Binder, a member of the Athens Area Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), said the reason Mamdani performed so well was “obvious.”
“One of the lingering questions after the 2024 election was about the AOC race. Specifically, people sort of were wondering how did AOC perform so much better than Kamala Harris?” Binder said. "I think from the DSA perspective, it was sort of obvious why … she really was trying to improve people's material conditions, and she was trying to build a coalition more along economic lines, rather than through this culture war lens. I think that in a lot of ways, the Zohran win underscores all of those things.”
Dr. Carl Cavalli, a political science professor at the University of North Georgia, said Mamdani came out of “nowhere.”
“As recently as earlier this year … to say that [Cuomo] was the prohibitive favorite was an understatement,” Cavalli said. “So, Mamdani came from way out of nowhere.”
Mamdani utilized viral campaign videos and focused on the cost of living in one of the most expensive cities in the country.
Cavalli said the combination of technique and issue content is what sent Mamdani to the top, and some of that may offer a clue to Democrats in Georgia.
“Now the real big question is, how does this play in the rest of the country? How is it going to play in Georgia, or more likely, how is it going to play in Gainesville, Georgia?” Cavalli said. “Especially when you have in the general election Republicans coming out relentlessly hitting on issues of immigration and transgender issues without let up. How is that going to work?”
Mamdani has promised free child care for New Yorkers 5 years and younger, fast and free buses, freezing the rent for rent-stabilized apartments, city-owned grocery stores to sell products at wholesale cost, and a $30 minimum wage by 2030, among many other progressive stances.
He’s going to pay for these policies by raising the city’s corporate tax rate to 11.5% and a flat 2% tax on the wealthiest 1% of New Yorkers.
City of Gainesville Mayor Sam Couvillon, who will also be running in the Republican primary for Georgia’s 9th Congressional District in 2026, said he does not foresee shifts in Georgia politics following Mamdani’s win.
“I'm not sure I see it so much here in Georgia, as much as nationally … assuming he wins, then you would have two of our largest cities run by a self-proclaimed socialist. You know, you have the same in Chicago,” Couvillon said. “My logic would tell me this is the direction the Democratic Party is headed. Instead of moderating their beliefs, it seems like they're trying to be more extreme.”
Couvillon has been the Mayor of Gainesville since 2022. He said he did not agree with the policies put forth by Mamdani.
“Raising the corporate income tax will be counterproductive, defunding the police in favor of social workers would not be practical, the city-run grocery stores are not going to be practical in my mind,” Couvillon said, “You know, I'm a capitalist. I feel like you need to let people run businesses. You let individuals take more of their own money home with them, and let them choose how to spend their money, not the government deciding how to spend their money.”
Indivisible Lumpkin is a chapter of the Indivisible Project that was founded after President Donald Trump’s first election in 2016 to espouse “principles of resistance and a progressive vision for the future.” Their group leader, Judy Kreps, said they were excited about Mamdani’s win.
“We were pretty excited because he’s a very strong, progressive, enthusiastic candidate,” Kreps said.
Kreps said much of Mamdani’s platform is popular, especially amongst younger voters.
“People of all ages, but especially younger folks, are frankly pretty disgusted with the Democratic party at the national level for their lack of support of policy positions that are hugely popular among voters across all parts of America,” Kreps said.
She said that the Democratic party at the national level continues to support the same stale, old, corporate candidates and subsequently continues to lose.
“We are hoping that the Democratic party at the national level and in Georgia as well will sit up and take note,” Kreps said.
Mamdani has also been outspoken in his support for Palestine, a contentious issue within the Democratic party. Support for Israel is largely bipartisan in American politics, but Binder — who is Jewish — said Mamdani’s win showed it isn’t a necessity for Democrats to win elections.
“Zohran shoots a hole in this idea that somehow being anti-Israel is antisemitic,” Binder said. “Anti-Zionist doesn't equal antisemitic.”
Binder also mentioned that an Atlanta City Council candidate is endorsed by Atlanta’s DSA chapter.
Kelsea Bond will be running in November for Atlanta’s 2nd District with similar messaging to Mamdani.
Cavalli said that same messaging will energize Democrats.
“I think that he is hitting on the issues that will energize Democrats of all shades,” Cavalli said. “These economic populist issues, universal child care, public transit, wages, health care, those kinds of things. And in that respect, he may be the kind of person that Democrats have been looking for.”
Time will tell if Mamdani holds on to win. He will be running against Incumbent Eric Adams, who pulled out of the Democratic primary to run as an independent. The election is slated for Nov. 4, and regardless of the outcome will have ripple effects in American politics.
