SET TO take office on Jan. 1, 2026, the Zohran Mamdani administration augurs a new era of democratic socialism in the heart of America’s capitalist Mecca.
Initially, many jaded observers ignored Mamdani’s campaign– until he won the Democratic primary in June 2025, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo, and was elected mayor in the November general election.
As a one-time New Yorker, I see it as the first campaign in decades that actually reflects the full diversity of the city, where almost 40 percent of the residents are foreign-born.
Unity amid polarization
In a time of cold conservatism, deep divides, and bloodthirsty xenophobia, Zohran Mamdani’s campaign proved triumphant. He offered an entirely new economic blueprint and a sense of unity across class, gender, and race.
New York City exhibits extreme income inequality, perhaps the highest in metropolitan America, characterized by a wide gap between high-wage earners in sectors like finance and a large portion of the population struggling with the city’s high cost of living. In such an environment, Mamdani’s message on affordability resonated widely.
During the campaign, he faced huge political obstacles. NYC’s billionaires and business leaders contributed over $40 million to anti-Mamdani political action groups, including $8.3 million by former mayor Michael Bloomberg.
But even the billionaire class is no longer united. Some figures, such as the hedge fund hawk Bill Ackman and Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, have publicly offered to work with the new administration, suggesting a split in the unified opposition.
A campaign of equity, hope, and future
Impressively, Mamdani campaigned on socialist ideas that mainstream Democrats have shunned for too long (and even European social democrats prefer to disguise). He supports LGBTQ rights and broad public safety reform.
As Mamdani said after his win, “I am Muslim, I am a democratic socialist and most damning of all I refuse to apologize for any of this.”
His platform zoomed in on affordability, supporting fare-free city buses, universal public child care, city-owned grocery stores, a rent freeze on rent-stabilized units, additional affordable housing units, and a $30 minimum wage by 2030.
Central to his platform are plans for universal free childcare and free buses, which require tax increases on corporations and wealthy New Yorkers, and state approval.
Mamdani plans to invest $100 billion (including $70 billion in municipal bonds) over the next 10 years to build 200,000 permanently affordable, union-built, rent-stabilized homes.
Progressive international outlook
Resting on his democratic socialist views, Mamdani’s international outlook centers on prioritizing local action for global justice and connecting local issues (housing, policing) to international struggles against oppression, emphasizing “morality in our foreign policy.”
In particular, Mamdani condemns Israel’s actions in Gaza, supports the boycott movement against Israel (BDS), and advocates for Palestinian rights.
Recognizing NYC’s unique international connections, he hopes to challenge U.S. policies abroad by fostering solidarity and applying pressure from the municipal level.
Amid Trump’s crude autocratic policies and xenophobic Christian nationalism, Mamdani’s win has been seen as a victory for progressive politics, challenging mainstream Democratic stances and empowering youth and minority voters.
Then again, socialist ideas are far more typical to 21st century America than official stances might lead one to presume.
Socialism is rising, especially among the young
Despite anti-Mamdani campaigns funded by the Big Apple’s billionaire class, times are changing. In the recent September 2025 Fox News poll, the NYC voters held a slightly more favorable view of capitalism (48% favorable) compared to socialism (41% favorable).
However, these ratings differ significantly across various demographic and ethnic groups, primarily along lines of political party, gender, and age.
Democrats, who account for two-thirds of New Yorkers, have not only a net negative view of capitalism but a net positive view of socialism (49% favorable to 35% unfavorable). This gap is even wider nationally, with 66% of Democrats viewing socialism favorably.
Moreover, polling data, while more national, shows a strong age progression, with younger voters’ (under 35) more favorable views of socialism.
Some preconditions of success
If Mamdani is to succeed, he must find a way to implement key parts of his agenda and deliver tangible results for working-class New Yorkers and gain broad public support.
Reflecting their diverse challenges, Mamdani’s team is a curious mix of new progressive activists and old and experienced government veterans like First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan and Budget Director Sherif Soliman. These two sets of actors must balance zeal and experience.
Mamdani’s policies on affordability, such as a rent freeze on rent-stabilized units and creating city-owned grocery stores, must prove effective to resonate with voters and result in widespread public backing to allow him to overcome political opposition.
More broadly, success requires effective state-level cooperation with Governor Kathy Hochul and the state legislature. The new administration must win their approval for major priorities like free city buses and raising taxes on the wealthy to fund universal childcare.
Then, there’s the thorny federal relationship. Despite high-profile public conflicts during the campaign, his relationship with the Trump administration started with a surprisingly cordial and productive tone on shared interests like housing development and general economic health, which could ensure continued federal funding.
From headwinds to tailwinds?
Conversely, a full-blown war with the federal administration would result in federal incursions, including the ICE (immigration and customs enforcement) police, which many New Yorkers regard as “Trump’s Gestapo,” or the withdrawal of vital federal funding, which would cripple NYC’s budget and resources.
As the Mamdani era begins, all gloves will be off. Due to their deep ties with NYC’s financial giants, the entrenched political class, including conservative Democrats, will do anything they can to shoot down the new administration’s initiatives.
Whatever the effective future of the Mamdani administration, its rise reflects new political winds in America, deeply polarized by untenable class conflicts, gender divides, age-old race bias, and profound splits on immigration.
If Mamdani can make it in New York City, his followers can make it in America – and elsewhere in the world.
Dr. Dan Steinbock is an internationally recognized strategist of the multipolar world and the founder of Difference Group. He has served at the India, China and America Institute (USA), Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more, see https://www.differencegroup.net
