Like it or not - the impossible has happened. Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani will be the 111th mayor of New York City with the historic win not only making him the city’s first Muslim mayor but, at 34, its youngest in more than a century.
Importantly, Mamdani wasted little time in calling out US President Donald Trump as part of his victory speech. The Indian-origin mayor-elect declared that if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is NYC - the city that gave rise to him.
Remember, Trump labelled Mamdani a communist, a Jew-hater, and so much more. And yet, despite all the vitriol, Mamdani pulled off a resounding victory that will be talked about for a long time to come.
Which is exactly why political observers are already fanning the debate about the future of the Democratic Party - especially with US Mid-term elections just a year away. Midterm elections are typically considered a referendum on the first two years of a presidential term - with the party in power, more often than not, taking a beating.
And just within the last 24 hours, Republicans have been dealt 4 losses in a row.
Beyond Mamdani’s victory, Virginia elected Democrat Abigail Spanberger as its first female governor, and New Jersey voted in Democrat Mikie Sherrill as its second female governor. Even the long-time Democratic stronghold of California handed Governor Gavin Newsom a critical win. The state voted in favour of a proposal to redraw California's congressional map. The move could net Democrats as many as five new seats in next year’s midterms. The stakes are thus high for both parties.
Republicans need to view these elections as a referendum on Trump's policies. Policies that might have just gone too far. And establishment Democrats have to finally understand that their current cautious stance is deeply unpopular nationwide. They simply cannot ignore how Mamdani tapped into the Democratic voter's appetite for change.
His accessible, social media-friendly campaign captivated young and first-time voters. Officials say NYC saw its largest-ever turnout for early voters in a non-presidential election.
Now, Mamdani has declared that New York would be the light in this moment of political darkness. And just like he told Trump, Democrats too may need to ‘turn the volume up’.
