Democratic Socialists won big in NY. Do they offer a way forward for Democrats?

Summary

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Consider This from NPR

Episode: "Democratic Socialists won big in NY. Do they offer a way forward for Democrats?"

Date: June 24, 2026
Host: Scott Detrow
Guest: New York City Mayor Zahra Mamdani

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Overview

This episode examines the significant victory of Democratic Socialist candidates in New York’s Democratic primaries—a win facilitated by the endorsements of New York City Mayor Zahra Mamdani. Host Scott Detrow and Mayor Mamdani explore what these wins mean for the Democratic Party at large, whether this signals a broader shift leftward, and if it offers lessons (or warnings) for national Democrats heading into the next midterm elections.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. New York’s Electoral Shift: Details and Significance

• Victories detailed: All three congressional candidates endorsed by Mayor Mamdani won, including:
  • Claire Valdez (Brooklyn)
  • Darieliza Avila Chevalier (community organizer who unseated incumbent Adriano Espe)
  • Brad Lander (former NYC Controller who ousted Congressman Dan Goldman)
• Mayor Mamdani staked significant political capital on these endorsements, reinforcing his influence and the movement’s momentum.
• The wins are framed as "a major win for New York City Mayor Zahran Mandani, who put his political reputation on the line by endorsing the slate" [00:19].

2. Core Campaign Messages and Voter Sentiment

• Centering Working People: All endorsed candidates campaigned on bringing the concerns of working people into the spotlight.
  • Mamdani: “At the core of each of their candidacies is a belief that working people have to return back to the heart of our politics.” [02:38]
• Anti–Status Quo: Election results are characterized as broad statements of dissatisfaction with establishment politics.
  • “It's a statement that the status quo will no longer be sufficient.” [03:23]
• Special Interests & Policy Exhaustion: Mamdani points out both voter “exhaustion” with special interest–driven races and “a federal government that is embarking on immigration policy that is cruel...” [02:38]

3. Taking Risks Against the Establishment

• Ousting Incumbents: Mamdani’s conscious choice to challenge sitting Democrats, bucking party norms.
  • “Anytime there is the chance to deliver for working people, I think it is a risk worth taking.” [04:19]
• Diversity & Representation: Victories seen as historic for demographic representation in certain districts.
  • Avila Chevalier becomes “the first Afro Latina Dominican woman to now represent that district.”
  • Claire Valdez is “the first Mexican American and indigenous woman to represent that district.” [04:19]

4. Agenda and Vision for the Future

• “Affordability Agenda”: Commitment to focusing federal and local resources on economic relief for working families in a high-cost city.
• These results serve as a "glimpse into the future," with Mamdani noting, “For those who are wondering when the race for 2028 begins, it was yesterday.” [03:23]

5. Navigating Party Tensions and Building Coalitions

• Responding to intra-party skepticism and risk of alienating allies:
  • “I think this shows the fact that the vision that we have, the agenda that we have, is one that is in line with what New Yorkers want to see.” [05:16]

6. Foreign Policy Stance—Specifically on Israel

• Pivot from Military Aid: The DSA-aligned candidates are unified in advocating to “invest in babies, not bombs.”
  • “You see in each of these three candidates…a commitment to co sponsor the block the bombs legislation. And what that reflects is an exhaustion…with our nation’s complicity in the continued killing…in Palestine or Lebanon or beyond.” [05:50]
• Mamdani underscores re-directing funds from foreign interventions to domestic investment for working people.

7. The National Picture: DSA’s Broader Momentum

• 2026 is described as a breakout year for Democratic Socialists, with notable wins in major cities across the country.
• Voters, Mamdani argues, are “fed up”—the working class is the “only majority that really exists,” and for too long, their concerns have been ignored.
  • Links to Democratic Party tradition: “When we look back at the history of the Democratic Party...this idea of fighting for working people, it's not alien...it's at the heart of some of the greatest successes we've ever had.” [06:56]

8. Pushback Against “Too Far Left” Concerns

• On moderate fears and general-election vulnerability:
  • “Well, I think what we see is that Democratic voters…feel very differently. And what is a party if not its voters?…those voters have chosen leaders who are willing to fight for the working person.” [08:07]

9. Anticipating Republican Attacks

• Mamdani welcomes challenges to progressive policies:
  • “I invite Republicans to try and smear the cause of universal childcare. I invite Republicans to try and go after the idea that we should not spend billions of dollars bombing civilians abroad and instead investing those back in our districts.” [08:46]
• Focus on defining what they’re fighting for (“now we have the answer”), instead of just defending against attacks.

10. Engagement with Party Leadership

• Mamdani notes ongoing engagement with top party figures: “I'll be speaking with Congressman Jeffries later this evening…at the end of it, we're all trying to deliver for our city, for our state, for our country.” [09:29]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Significance of the Victories:
  • "It's a statement that the status quo will no longer be sufficient." — Zahra Mamdani [03:23]
• On Why He Challenged Incumbents:
  • "Anytime there is the chance to deliver for working people, I think it is a risk worth taking." — Zahra Mamdani [04:19]
• Regarding Party Identity:
  • "What is a party if not its voters?" — Zahra Mamdani [08:07]
• On Foreign Policy:
  • "It's time to invest in babies, not bombs." — Zahra Mamdani, quoting Darieliza Avila Chevalier [05:50]
• On Progressive Policy Attacks:
  • "I invite Republicans to try and smear the cause of universal childcare." — Zahra Mamdani [08:46]
• On Celebrating Victories:
  • "Last night was an incredible night. It is hard to pale, however, when we compare it to 53 years of wait. So gotta go with the Knicks. Gotta go with the real king of New York, Jalen Brunson.” — Zahra Mamdani [09:48] (When asked if he was happier about the victories or the Knicks winning)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro & results summary: [00:00–02:11]
• Mayor Mamdani interview begins, core candidate values: [02:11–03:14]
• Discussion on anti-establishment statement: [03:14–04:00]
• Decision to challenge incumbents: [04:00–05:04]
• On alienating other Democrats: [05:04–05:39]
• Israel/foreign policy questions: [05:39–06:40]
• DSA’s appeal and historical context: [06:40–07:58]
• Addressing left vs. moderate party tensions: [07:58–08:28]
• Rebutting Republican attack strategies: [08:28–09:21]
• Speaking with national party leadership: [09:21–09:43]
• Personal moment – Knicks win: [09:43–10:02]

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Summary

This episode explores the growing clout of Democratic Socialists within the Democratic Party, especially in urban strongholds like New York. The wins are interpreted as a rebuke to the status quo and a call for a renewed focus on working-class issues, affordable living, and a pivot in foreign spending priorities. Mayor Zahra Mamdani asserts that these victories are not about ideology for its own sake, but about realigning the party with its historic mission: fighting for working people. The episode connects New York’s story to national trends, ongoing intra-party debates, and the electrifying energy now animating Democrats’ progressive base.

Transcript

[Scott Detrow]

It's Consider this where every day we go deep on one big news story today, a banner New York primary for left wing candidates. What that means for the Democratic Party, where all three of the congressional candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zahra Mamdani advance to the midterm. Claire Valdez.

[NPR Announcer]

She was declared the winner in Brooklyn.

[Scott Detrow]

16 Darieliza Avila Chevalier, a community organizer. She toppled incumbent Adriano Espe. Former New York City Controller Brad Lander. He had a big win over incumbent Congressman Dan Goldman. Tuesday's electoral victories were a major win for New York City Mayor Zahran Mandani, who put his political reputation on the line by endorsing the slate.

[Zahra Mamdani]

It's a statement that the status quo will no longer be sufficient.

[Scott Detrow]

But about a year ago, some in the Democratic Party establishment considered him a pariah. Here's Congressman Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey, speaking on CNBC last year we don't need a job Killing Socialist consider this. Since 2024, the Democratic Party has been struggling to define its so do centrist Democrats have something to learn from Mayor Tom Donnie? From npr, I'm Scott Detrow.

[Zahra Mamdani]

This message comes from Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail], progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[NPR Announcer]

This message comes from NPR sponsor Carvana Making buying a car 100% online with real transparent pricing and customizable financing that fits your budget. Browse thousands of cars and get yours delivered. Visit Carvana.com today. Delivery fees and terms may apply. This message comes from the podcast Pod Save America. Every week, John Lovett, Tommy Vitor, Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer dive deep into political news with guests from across the progressive spectrum. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube.

[Scott Detrow]

It's Consider this from npr. Three congressional candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani won big in New York City last night. The trio of wins, two by Democratic Socialists, amounts to another major shift left for the Democratic Party. And the fact that Mamdani helped oust two incumbents from his own party has led to a lot of questions about the path forward forward for Democrats. I spoke with the New York mayor earlier and began by asking him what the three candidates he supported had in common.

[Zahra Mamdani]

At the core of each of their candidacies is a belief that working people have to return back to the heart of our politics, you could see it's a concern for the fact that in many of these races we see special interests looking to buy the outcomes of them. We see a federal government that is embarking on immigration policy that is cruel and does nothing that to serve in the interest of public safety. And we see an exhaustion with a foreign policy that would rather invest in bombs than in babies back home. In our own districts and in each of these candidacies, we also see a hunger from working New Yorkers for exactly that kind of politics.

[Scott Detrow]

What is this a collective statement against? Because these three wins, two incumbents being ousted is a pretty big anti establishment statement.

[Zahra Mamdani]

It's a statement that the status quo will no longer be sufficient. It's a statement that working people are not willing to accept a politics that neglects their everyday needs. And I said in the lead up to yesterday evening, as I endorsed three candidates for Congress, five candidates for the state legislature, all of whom prevailed yesterday evening, that for those who are wondering when the race for 2028 begins, it was yesterday. Because what this slate shows, what what New Yorkers have shown, it is a glimpse into the future that we have to bring forth to ensure that we're not just fighting back against the federal administration and its cruelty, but we're also fighting for a vision of working people.

[Scott Detrow]

I want to get back to that idea in a moment, but first I want to ask about some of the decisions you made yourself. As you are well aware, taking on incumbents in your own party is a pretty surprising move for most people in politics. There's been a lot of grumbling from officeholders across the state today. Why to you was that risk worth it?

[Zahra Mamdani]

Anytime there is the chance to deliver for working people, I think it is a risk worth taking. And what I saw in the candidacies of Darielisa Avila Chevalier, who last night prevailed and became the first Afro Latina Dominican woman to now represent that district. What I saw in the candidacies of Claire Valdez, who will be the first Mexican American and indigenous woman to represent that district. And what I saw in the candidacy of Brad Lander, the former controller who will now be the next Congressmember representing New York, 10 are candidacies that would fulfill our vision of delivering on an affordability agenda that is just as relevant as it was a year ago when I became the Democratic nominee for mayor in this city because we continue to live in the most expensive city in the United States of America.

[Scott Detrow]

I did see a lot of blind quotes from Council members from legislators in Albany amounting to. I don't know if I can trust the mayor at this point. Do you have any worry that this could alienate the coalitions? You need to get stuff done.

[Zahra Mamdani]

I think this shows the fact that the vision that we have, the agenda that we have, is one that is in line with what New Yorkers want to see. We saw New Yorkers come out and vote for change. We saw them come out and vote for a new kind of politics. And I'm excited to deliver on exactly that kind of politics now with more partners in office, whether at the federal level or at the state level.

[Scott Detrow]

Israel was a major focus in several of these races. What is the best way to put what you want to see when it comes to foreign policy and aid for Israel? If Democrats do win back the House

[Zahra Mamdani]

next year, I think Darieliza says it best. It's time to invest in babies, not bombs. You see in each of these three candidates now, soon to be Congress members, a commitment to co sponsor the block the bombs legislation. And what that reflects is an exhaustion. Not just a political exhaustion, but also a moral exhaustion. With our nation's complicity in the continued killing and of civilians, whether in Palestine or Lebanon or beyond. And all of this happening in a period that we have been told to describe as a ceasefire. And it is time that tens of billions of dollars that are killing innocent civilians are instead spent investing back into what are some of the poorest congressional districts in America to deliver for working people who help to make this city what it is and yet are constantly thinking about if they can afford to live in this city.

[Scott Detrow]

This is the latest in a series of primary wins this spring and summer for Democratic Socialist candidates. There's been wins in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, here in Washington, DC's mayor race, now New York congressional races. Why to you does the DSA message seem to be resonating so well right now?

[Zahra Mamdani]

It speaks to the fact that working people are fed up. And when we look at this country, we know that the only majority that really exists is that of the working class. And for too long, that hasn't been reflected in our politics. For too long, our politics has felt as if irrelevant to the struggles of a working person trying to pay their rent or afford going to the grocery store or thinking about having a kid. And what each of these candidates have shown is a willingness to speak directly to those struggles and not just name them, but also put forward a vision that would actually address those struggles and make it easier to live in the city. And you Know many of us, when we look back at the history of the Democratic Party, this idea of fighting for working people, it's not alien to what our party is about. In fact, it's at the heart of some of the greatest successes we've ever had. We think about fdr, we think about the New Deal policies that he gave rise to. And so much of that is exactly what working people are calling out for today. These are the kinds of Congress people and partners that will help to fulfill that.

[Scott Detrow]

There are a lot of people in the Democratic Party who think the opposite, who think a big reason the party lost in the last election cycle was it drifted too far to the left.

[Zahra Mamdani]

Well, I think what we see is that Democratic voters, which is where the Democratic Party draws its power from, feel very differently. And what is a party if not its voters? And what we see is that those voters have chosen leaders who are willing to fight for the working person. And no matter how you want to describe that, it is a fight that for far too long has been missing from the forefront of our politics.

[Scott Detrow]

A question adjacent to that is you are well aware how successful Republicans are at trying to link Democrats in more moderate swing districts to left wing candidates, to DSA candidates. Any worry at any level or what do you think the best path forward is that as the more prominent the DSA becomes, it makes it harder for Democrats to win a majority this fall.

[Zahra Mamdani]

I invite Republicans to try and smear the cause of universal childcare. I invite Republicans to try and go after the idea that we should not spend billions of dollars bombing civilians abroad and instead investing those back in our districts. I invite Republic to have to defend the indefensible because that's what they've been doing for far too long. And we've been told every time we take a step forward for working people that this will now become the new face of the Democratic Party. I think it's time that it does. Because for far too long, we haven't been able to answer what we're fighting for, only who we're fighting. And now we have the answer.

[Scott Detrow]

Have you get a chance yet today to talk to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both New Yorkers, about all of this.

[Zahra Mamdani]

I'll be speaking with Congressman Jeffries later this evening and I look forward to that conversation because at the end of it, we're all trying to deliver for our city, for our state, for our country. And I'm excited at the fact that there's so much more to be done

[Scott Detrow]

last question, Mr. Mayor, were you happier when these three candidates got the races called for them or when the Knicks won?

[Zahra Mamdani]

You know, last night was an incredible night. It is hard to pale, however, when we Compare it to 53 years of wait. So gotta go with the Knicks. Gotta go with the real king of

[Scott Detrow]

New York, Jalen Brunson, New York City Mayors Iran Mamdani. Thank you so much for talking to us.

[Zahra Mamdani]

Very welcome. Thank you.

[Scott Detrow]

This episode was produced by Michelle Aslam and Tyler Bartlam. It was edited by Patrick Jaran Watanan and Tinbit Ermias. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dornick. Let's consider this from npr. I'm scott detrow.

[NPR Announcer]

Want to hear this podcast without sponsor breaks? Amazon prime members can listen to Consider this sponsor free through Amazon Music. Or you can also support NPR's vital journalism and get [e-mail] that's plus.npr.org hi,

[Zahra Mamdani]

it's Terry Gross, host of FRESH AIR. Hey, take a break from the 24 hour news cycle with us and listen to long form interviews with your favorite authors, actors, filmmakers, comedians and musicians, the people making the art that nourishes us and speaks to our times. So listen to the FRESH AIR podcast from NPR and whyyy.