Morning Note

It really happened.

New York City elected its first socialist mayor on Tuesday, crowning Uganda-born Zohran Mamdani as Eric Adams’s successor. The race was not particularly close, with Mamdani besting Andrew Cuomo by roughly eight points. He also defeated the former governor in June’s Democrat primary. 

The 34-year-old branded his victory as the toppling of a political dynasty and a seismic shift in America’s largest city’s politics. The election inspired 2 million New Yorkers to cast a ballot, the largest turnout since 1969. Cuomo lost despite campaign and super PAC spending exceeding $65 million. Republican Curtis Sliwa did not earn enough votes to cost Cuomo the race.

Mamdani centered his campaign around perhaps the most basic issue that regular citizens care about: the cost of living. He didn’t shill for foreign countries or special interests; his movement solely revolved around everyday people. Do we think his ideas are sound? No. But both parties should learn a lesson from his success. Focus on economics and the kitchen table issues that affect average Americans. That’s the ticket to winning elections.

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