Reports of the death of the Democratic Party seem to have been greatly exaggerated. On Tuesday night, Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old political novice, won over New Yorkers with an affable demeanor that conveyed an infectious joy in the people of the city, alongside a relentlessly focused message of affordability.
Mamdani swept to the mayoralty of the US’s largest city with a commanding lead. In doing so, he defeated one of the most indefatigable forces in electoral politics since the 2010 Citizen’s United decision, which unleashed unlimited money into American political campaigns: the preferences of billionaires.
And it wasn’t close. Mamdani trounced his billionaire-backed opponent by nearly nine points, signaling a significant shift in the political landscape.
