City Journal Audio - “City Journal Reacts to Election Night”
Episode Date: November 5, 2025
Host: City Journal / Manhattan Institute
Guests: Mike Solana (Pirate Wires), Ralph, John, Additional Panelists
Overview
This special live episode presents City Journal’s real-time reactions to Election Night in New York City, analyzing the results, implications, and political dynamics as Zoran Mamdani is declared the next mayor—a signal of an ascendant hard left in New York. The panel, featuring regular CJ voices and guest Mike Solana, brings policy insight, frustration, sarcasm, and concern about the city’s future direction, comparing it to recent experiences in San Francisco and other major metros.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Immediate Reactions to Election Results (00:08 - 06:04)
- CJ’s panel openly expresses pessimism about the night’s outcomes, feeling the city has moved decisively toward the radical left.
- General disbelief and disappointment over outcomes in New Jersey and Virginia, seeing national trends toward progressive candidates even when their rhetoric is extreme.
- Quote (B): "Every single Democrat who clutched their pearls at the things that Donald Trump said… was full of it." (02:04)
- Early expectations for little optimism; most panelists “gave up hope months ago” about a centrist or moderate comeback.
2. Zoran Mamdani’s Victory: What Happened (04:02 - 07:12)
- The group discusses the primary, noting Mamdani’s energetic campaign and deep progressive roots.
- Failure of moderate/Democratic elites to coordinate behind a credible alternative—Cuomo’s failed candidacy cited as emblematic of systemic elite fragmentation.
- Quote (D): "New York's voting for a communist. It's crazy. Here he goes. He's not even a fake communist. He's fully Marx quoting, whatever…" (04:02)
- Ranked choice voting and polling discussed; DSA's (Democratic Socialists of America) organizing machinery surprised nearly everyone.
3. Why Did Moderates Flop? Comparison to San Francisco (13:49 - 21:57)
- Mike Solana explains San Francisco’s “turnaround” stemmed from elites suffering from policies they could no longer ignore ("everyone shared in the burden").
- Quote (B): “It didn't matter if you lived in a really nice neighborhood. You were still dealing with people shitting in the street.” (14:51)
- New York, by contrast, has more diffuse elite and industry interests, making it hard to coordinate centrist pushback.
- Real estate, finance, and even within single industries, lack a united front.
- Overcredentialed, uprooted young progressives dominate turnout, while long-term residents or property owners are out-hustled by DSA and Working Families Party organizing.
4. The Structural Left-Ward Shift: DSA and Working Families Party Power (24:06 - 25:08)
- Mamdani’s campaign is described as a successful DSA membership drive—a “hijacking” of the political machine via focused turnout.
- Panel identifies infrastructure and money as the missing elements for centrists; they call for a more ruthless and organized approach by moderates.
5. New York’s Policy Future: Housing, Crime, and Services (07:51 - 13:49; 47:51 - 56:45)
- Housing:
- Three major ballot proposals remove land use votes from City Council, to incentivize housing supply; described as a rare success of Adams, now set to be advanced further.
- Irony: Adams’s new housing legacy may be delivered by the same radicals that pushed him aside.
- Crime and Safety:
- Mamdani is expected to push for the abolition of the NYPD gang database and shift police discipline to the Civilian Complaint Review Board—anticipated to sharply reduce police morale and numbers (currently NYPD is 3,000 officers down since 2019).
- Quote (A): “NYPD is currently losing 300 officers a month… New York City’s safety is built on the backbone of there is a literal army of police officers in this city. Right. That’s why New York City is safe. And if you just sort of go, eh, we don’t really need it, it will not go well for you.” (51:03)
- Education:
- Mamdani’s promise to end mayoral control of schools could return NYC to a "corrupt fiefdom" model—dispersed, unaccountable, and prone to political chaos.
6. Legal, Fiscal, & Institutional Constraints on the Mandate (37:10 - 43:14)
- Rent freezes:
- Mamdani will face statutory obstacles and probable lawsuits if he tries to impose a citywide rent freeze; the Rent Guidelines Board's design and legal requirements significantly limit unilateral executive action.
- Quote (A): "Zahra Hamdani has spent the past year promising to violate the law if he’s elected." (39:40)
- Budgets:
- NYC’s strict balanced budget requirement may force more moderation or quick crises for the new administration if federal funding dries up or recession hits.
7. “Gotham Moment” and the Rikers Deadline (58:37 - 60:44)
- By August 2027, the city must close Rikers Island even though borough-based jails are nowhere near completion, risking “decarceration by default”—a major looming crisis for Mamdani and the city’s criminal justice system.
- Quote (B): "Here is Zoram Ramdani’s first challenge. What are we going to do come August 2027 when not one of those jails is built yet?" (59:20)
8. National Politics and Trump’s Role (53:20 - 54:09; 62:57)
- There’s consensus that Trump will “make New York his cathedral,” leveraging Mamdani’s tenure for political contrast and campaign theater.
- Upcoming gubernatorial contest (with potential AOC candidacy or a Stefanik challenge) could become a high-stakes referendum on New York’s leftward lurch.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On DSA’s Political Machine:
- (A): “Zhao Hamdani’s campaign started as a DSA membership drive. That was the goal of the campaign. He said this in Politico… their purpose was to build power for the DSA.” (24:06)
- On NYC Quality of Life:
- (B): “I thought that I would die in New York City as a father, as a husband, as a professional. And it got to the point where you’re nickel and dimed nonstop… you’re getting speeding tickets from some camera for going 36 miles an hour on a six lane highway at 10 o’clock at night when no one’s on the street.” (27:14)
- On Moderates’ Failure to Coordinate:
- (A): "Andrew Cuomo was able to successfully clear the field, and… there was a comprehensive failure." (17:44)
- (D): “If you have some high status people who are like, no, socialism’s really bad and these radical leftists are fucking crazy… then I think that’s helpful.” (20:03)
- On the Coming Crisis at Rikers:
- (B): “That’s exactly where they're going to go come August 2027.” (60:44)
- On New York’s Place in the Country:
- (D): "Does that bubble burst?... you all have a bit of Stockholm syndrome. It’s actually like not that nice… It’s super dystopian actually, if you just step back and look at it." (30:42)
Important Timestamps
- 00:08 – 06:04: Pessimism and coverage of early results (NJ, VA, NYC).
- 07:51 – 13:49: NYC ballot initiatives, City Council dysfunction, Adams’s legacy, DSA’s organizational edge.
- 13:49 – 21:57: Comparison to San Francisco’s political turnaround and the structural split in NY’s industries/interest groups.
- 24:06 – 25:08: The rise of the DSA, effect of focused organizing, and elite inaction.
- 37:10 – 43:14: Legal limitations on the mayor and rent freeze mechanics.
- 47:51 – 56:45: Anticipated policy shifts: crime, police, schools, city fiscal health.
- 58:37 – 60:44: Rikers closure deadline and the threats it poses.
- 62:55 – 64:27: Panel closing thoughts, predictions, and sign off.
Panel’s Closing Thoughts
- John (61:14): "We’re going to learn a lot about the shape of this administration based on the staffing of it… Who Mamdani picks for first deputy mayor will be an important bellwether."
- B (62:16): "…a sad day for New York… I do love this city and I do think it's going to be worse off… There are a lot of people who can't [leave] and they deserve better than Zoram Hamdan."
- Mike Solana (62:57): "It’s going to be really difficult to discern what’s real, what is Zoran doing versus what is the noise in the pageantry. They’re going to be performing. I think it’s going to be crazy."
- A (63:42): "Now a 34 year old whose first real job was being state [assemblyman] and before that he was a rapper is actually the mayor… of the most important city in the entire planet… We’re gonna be paying attention and we’ll have lots of opinions."
Summary
City Journal’s Election Night special paints a striking picture of frustration, resignation, and alarm among New York’s centrist and moderate observers, as Zoran Mamdani’s mayoral victory confirms the city’s hard swing to the left, powered by focused grassroots organizing and fractured opposition. The panel voices deep concern about the city’s future on crime, housing, and governance, drawing sharp contrasts between New York, its rivals, and its own history. As institutional and legal brakes remain, the uncertainty ahead is palpable—summed up in the panel’s final message: buckle up, New York’s ride has only just begun.
For more City Journal analysis:
(Ad, intro, and outro sections were skipped as requested.)