Left-wing Democrat rules New York How Mamdani's election victory is shaking the foundations of the Democrats

With Zohran Mamdani, a self-declared "democratic socialist" now rules the financial capital of the USA. His election as mayor of New York is putting the Democrats' power structure to the test.

New York has a new mayor: Zohran Mamdani. He is the first Muslim to hold the highest office in a city with more than eight million inhabitants.

And the 33-year-old could really shake up the Democratic Party. The politician openly calls himself a "democratic socialist" and now governs the world center of capitalism - that alone is a small revolution in the USA.

Mamdani's rise signals a generational and ideological shift in US politics. "Mamdani represents an urban, educated and professional base," explains Ian Bremmer, American political scientist, in an interview with Gzero Media. His voters are people who fear that they will not have the opportunities they were promised by their parents. And, above all, that their children will not have these opportunities.

According to Bremmer, Mamdani is a reaction to the populism that the USA has experienced on the right with Donald Trump - simply for a different population group.

Progressive populism in response to MAGA

In contrast to the right-wing populist thinking rooted in Trump's MAGA movement, this new movement stems from economic uncertainty - caused by upheaval from AI, stagnant employment figures and intergenerational inequality. The result is a wave of progressive populism for which the Democratic establishment seems unprepared.

The Democrats have been struggling with their identity for years. On the one side is the progressive wing around Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, on the other the pragmatic center that wants to win elections in swing states. Mamdani's election victory in New York now strengthens the left wing and proves that socialist messages have become socially acceptable in American politics.

Poll confirms trend

In fact, a recent Gallup poll showed that two thirds of Democratic voters now view socialism positively, while only 42% still have confidence in capitalism. The success of the young New Yorker can therefore also be seen as an expression of a cultural and ideological shift - especially among young, urban, well-educated people.

But this is precisely the Democrats' problem: What works in Brooklyn often doesn't catch on in Pennsylvania or Michigan.

Silence in the establishment

Mamdani wants to freeze rents, open state-run greengrocers, make public transport free and transform the police into a "Department of Community Safety". The whole thing is to be financed by drastically higher taxes for the rich.

The party leadership is having a hard time with him. Although New York Governor Kathy Hochul and former Vice President Kamala Harris supported him after initial hesitation, many top politicians - including New York heavyweights Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries - kept a low profile. Their concern: a socialist mayor in America's financial capital could inspire the Republicans.

Donald Trump, for example, has already mocked Mamdani as a "communist lunatic" - a foretaste of the campaign rhetoric that awaits Democrats across the country.

Money, power and new alliances

Mamdani's victory could shift the balance of power within the party. The old alliance between moderate Democrats and Wall Street donors is now about to be torn apart. "The election of Zohran Mamdani reinforces the identity crisis the Democrats have been facing since the last election," says Jim Kennedy, former adviser to Bill Clinton, to US radio "Times".

Billionaires like Bill Ackman financed anti-Mamdani campaigns worth millions. Her failure also threatens to split the party's funding base: away from large donors and towards small donations from the grassroots - as was once the case with Sanders.

But Mamdani's election campaign also shows that the energy is obviously on the left. His supporters are young, digitally connected and politically active. They represent a new generation that prioritizes social justice, climate protection and rent freezes over party political power tactics. For the Democrats, this could be a recipe for mobilizing young people more strongly again.

Laboratory of the left

Under Mamdani, New York City could become a testing ground for left-wing politics. If he succeeds in stabilizing rents and improving the quality of life, it would be a triumph for the left and a model for other states.

If it fails, however, the party faces a fatal narrative: that socialism doesn't work in America. Then the damage would not be limited to New York, but would cost national election chances.

Zohran Mamdani represents a dispute over direction that is likely to occupy the Democratic Party for a long time to come. His success is a wake-up call - for some a liberation, for others a warning. If he succeeds in the balancing act between idealism and realpolitik, he could become one of the faces of a new Democratic Party - and one of Trump's biggest opponents.

In order to succeed again in the 2028 election for the country's highest office - the presidency - the Democrats would be well advised to learn from Mamdani's success. At least there, however, the party's shooting star will not be at the forefront: Because his country of birth is Uganda, he will never be able to become US president.