New York on the Brink: The Race That Could Radically Reshape the Left

Summary

Morning Wire Episode Summary

Title: New York on the Brink: The Race That Could Radically Reshape the Left
Date: November 2, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley (Daily Wire Executive Editor), Georgia Howe
Guest: Caroline Downey (National Review writer)

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Overview

This episode dives into the high-stakes, three-way New York City mayoral race between former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Democratic Socialist Zoran Mamdani, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. With only days left before the election, the hosts and guest Caroline Downey explore the implications of Mamdani’s anticipated win, the impact of foreign-born voters, ideological shifts in Democratic politics, and concerns over public safety and policing. The conversation highlights the broader significance of New York’s political direction for the American left.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Mayoral Candidates and Political Climate

• The election is garnering national attention, seen as potentially transformative for left-wing politics not only in New York but across the U.S. (00:33).
• Main contenders:
  • Zoran Mamdani: A state assemblyman self-identifying as a Democratic Socialist; viewed by critics as a radical with alleged controversial ties.
  • Andrew Cuomo: Former Democratic governor with a history of corruption scandals.
  • Curtis Sliwa: The Republican candidate, under pressure to withdraw to consolidate anti-Mamdani votes (00:33–01:00).

2. Federal Investigations and Campaign Ties

• Concerns about Mamdani:

  • House Republicans are urging the DOJ to investigate Mamdani's supposed “dark money” ties and alleged connections to radical groups.
  • Allegations include involvement of people adjacent to radical Islamic groups and George Soros’s network (02:47–04:05).
  • Downey doubts the investigations will change the immediate outcome but emphasizes terrorism concerns given New York’s history.

  Quote:

  “We know that there is radical Islamic, you know, people who have been involved in his campaign or adjacent to it … George Soros and the Open Society Foundations … New York City, we still are haunted by the memory of 9/11 that terrorism is no joke here.”
  — Caroline Downey, (03:09)

3. Demographics and Voting Trends

• New York’s notably high foreign-born population strongly influences the race.

• AOC’s support for Mamdani has invoked New York’s history as a refuge for immigrants—but Downey fact-checks her assertion about Jewish refugees during WWII, clarifying historical inaccuracies and contextualizing them in the current political climate (04:22–05:57).

• Key point: Gen Z transplants, with little personal memory of 9/11 or older city crises, are fueling Mamdani’s campaign.

  Quote:

  “Gen Z transplants like myself … do believe that Mamdani will deliver the Santa Claus laundry list of promises that he won’t actually be able to fulfill.”
  — Caroline Downey, (05:23)

4. Mamdani’s Attempted Rebranding and Public Perception

• Mamdani has attempted to soften his stance on policing and radical policy proposals to appeal to undecided and moderate Democrats disillusioned by Cuomo.

• Downey contends Mamdani’s ideological history is well-documented and may continue to dog him despite rebranding efforts.

  Quote:

  “There are clips. We have the evidence, we have the receipts. We know what Zohar Mandani has said in the past about not only refusing to condemn globalize the intifada, but actually saying he wants to seize the means of production. He does want a socialist utopia.”
  — Caroline Downey, (06:36)

• Discussion on whether Mamdani would be able to implement such radical policies, given city and state-level checks.

5. Implications for Public Safety and Policing

• Main worry from Downey is Mamdani’s impact on crime, law and order:

  • Prediction of further police disempowerment, a “perfect storm” for lawlessness, and increased risk for vulnerable populations.
  • Memoirs of the de Blasio era as a cautionary tale about decreased NYPD morale and rising crime (08:18–10:22).

  Quote:

  “If Mamdani gets his way, then, yeah, there’s going to be social workers addressing mad lunatics in public transit. … You kind of need a weapon as a deterrent to stop that threat.”
  — Caroline Downey, (09:05)

6. Generational and Ideological Shifts within NYC and the Democratic Party

• The conversation considers whether Mamdani’s rise signals a broader rejection of centrist Democrats like Eric Adams (10:22–13:02).

• Downey characterizes NYC politics as largely insular, noting the city's unique demographics—high percentage of young, foreign-born voters, and elite “overproduction.”

• Suggests the youth support for Mamdani is, in part, due to economic disillusionment and unfulfilled expectations among educated millennials and Gen Z.

  Quote:

  “A big part of the youth momentum for Mamdani is the disenchantment with the economy and cost of living. … There’s too many wannabe elites who didn’t achieve what they thought they were going to achieve.”
  — Caroline Downey, (11:28)

• Notes that NYC politics rarely translate into national Democratic leadership: “The country knows that New York City is kind of a weird case.”

7. Closing Predictions and Reflections

• If Mamdani wins and passes his more aggressive policies, Downey predicts rapid negative fallout, as seen in other progressive-run cities.
• Suggests the city may need to endure this “chapter” to “truly learn the lesson.” (13:02–13:13)

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Memorable Quotes by Timestamp

• 03:09 (Caroline Downey):
  “We know that there is radical Islamic, you know, people who have been involved in his campaign or adjacent to it … George Soros and the Open Society Foundations … New York City, we still are haunted by the memory of 9/11 that terrorism is no joke here.”

• 05:23 (Caroline Downey):
  “Gen Z transplants like myself … do believe that Mamdani will deliver the Santa Claus laundry list of promises that he won’t actually be able to fulfill.”

• 06:36 (Caroline Downey):
  “There are clips. We have the evidence, we have the receipts. We know what Zohar Mandani has said in the past about not only refusing to condemn globalize the intifada, but actually saying he wants to seize the means of production. He does want a socialist utopia.”

• 09:05 (Caroline Downey):
  “If Mamdani gets his way, then, yeah, there’s going to be social workers addressing mad lunatics in public transit. … You kind of need a weapon as a deterrent to stop that threat.”

• 11:28 (Caroline Downey):
  “A big part of the youth momentum for Mamdani is the disenchantment with the economy and cost of living. … There’s too many wannabe elites who didn’t achieve what they thought they were going to achieve.”

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Important Timestamps

• 00:33 – Episode overview and race introduction
• 02:08 – Guest introduction (Caroline Downey)
• 02:47–04:05 – Discussion of investigations, security concerns
• 04:22–05:57 – Demographics and voting power
• 06:09–07:52 – Mamdani’s political rebrand, history, and limits of power
• 08:18–10:22 – Policing, crime, and public safety under Mamdani
• 10:22–13:02 – Democratic Party dynamics, generational politics

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Conclusion

This episode provides a critical, insider look at the personalities, demographic forces, and political stakes in New York City’s mayoral race. Through detailed analysis and pointed critique, the hosts and Caroline Downey dissect not only the candidates’ platforms and liabilities but also the evolving landscape of urban progressive politics and its challenges for both New York and the Democratic Party nationwide.

Transcript

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[Narrator/Host]

A series of significant elections are taking place on November 4, but none have drawn as much attention as the contest for mayor of New York City. The race pits a once popular Democrat governor who's fallen from grace against an upstart state assemblyman who calls himself a Democratic socialist but whose critics call him a radical communist. Also on the ticket is a Republican who's been under fire to withdraw in order to save the city from far left policies.

[John Bickley]

In this episode, we sit down with National Review writer Caroline Downey to discuss the state of the race in this final stretch. I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. This is a weekend edition of Morning Wire.

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[John Bickley]

Joining us to discuss the three way race for mayor of New York City between Zoran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa is National Review writer Caroline Downey. Caroline, great to have you on the show. Thanks for Coming on.

[Caroline Downey]

Thank you for having me.

[John Bickley]

So we're just a couple of days away from this New York Mayor's election. It's one of the most watched mayoral races I can remember in recent elections. Zoran Mamdani seems primed to win, but he's also facing some last minute headwinds. That includes House Republicans urging the DOJ to investigate him, even possibly revoke his U.S. citizenship. Let's start there. Is there any legitimate chance of these investigations impacting things?

[Caroline Downey]

I'm not 100% confident of, of that, especially with the final home stretch of the race being right now. But I do think that it's worth investigating honestly. Some of the dark money ties to Zohran Momdani's campaign. We know that there is radical Islamic, you know, people who have been involved in his campaign or adjacent to it. He was recently seen campaigning with a unindicted co conspirator in the World Trade center bombings. And we know that George Soros and the Open Society Foundations are, are very much, you know, their, their network is involved in the Zora Mamdani campaign. And you know, I have questions there because New York City, we still are haunted by the memory of 9, 11 that terrorism is no joke here. We like to pretend that oh, New York City, the mayoral race, how could it be involved in international politics? It's about domestic issues and that's partially true. Cost of living and you know, the improving quality of life here for actual local residents is important. But New York City has always been involved in foreign affairs because the United nations is here. It has been the target of terrorist attacks in the past. We can't assume escape what goes on outside the United States. It comes to New York City because it is a commercial hub and it is also a diplomatic hub.

[John Bickley]

Speaking of the foreign nature of a lot of the politics of New York, the recent demographic and voting data in the city is pretty amazing. The percentage of foreign born voters there and how much of a percentage Mamdani specifically is drawing from that population. What have you seen in terms of those numbers?

[Caroline Downey]

Yeah, there is very transparently a large foreign born population here. It's obvious. It's obvious to the plain eye. And I think about how AOC was stumping for Zohar and Mamdani recently and she was touting out all of these statistics about immigrant groups that have fled war torn countries throughout recent history to find haven in New York City. And she mentioned one in particular that no one in mainstream media has fact checked her on and that was Jews during the Holocaust. She said that New York's also been a sanctuary for, for Jews during World War II, during the Holocaust. That's actually not true. It's the fact that FDR under his administration kind of closed the doors to a lot of the victims of the Third Reich. And maybe had he not done that under that Democratic administration, we'd actually have a higher Jewish born pop or Jewish population in New York City that might be able to counter the fact that the foreign born vote is very much driving a lot of Zoran Mandani's momentum. In addition to the Gen Z transplants like myself who have no connection to 9 11, they have no memory of 911 and they, they do believe that Mamdani will, will deliver the Santa Claus laundry list of promises that he won't actually be able to fulfill. Because Kathy Hochul has already said I'm not going to raise taxes and the richest individuals here because she knows that that's the base that she needs to pay for a lot of the city's priorities. And if Zoran Mandani did get his way and raise those taxes, they'd flee to Florida and Texas in a heartbeat.

[Narrator/Host]

Now he's attempted to walk back or soften some of those policies. Do you think that Rebrand is working and do you think that most New Yorkers in general know how radical his proposals for policing were to begin with?

[Caroline Downey]

He's trying to appease some of those undecided, I think even Democratic voters who don't like Andrew Cuomo. It's a very unsavory choice. Obviously his past has been riddled with corruption. He's not exactly a gem of a candidate on the Democratic side either. But Mamdani is so egregiously radical and I do think that he's maybe reaching some of them. But I also think that his past has, has continued to haunt him. And there are clips. We have the evidence, we have the receipts. We know what Zohar Mandani has said in the past about not only refusing to condemn globalize the antifada, but actually saying he wants to seize the means of production. He does want a socialist utopia. There are those who say, well, he's not actually a bona fide socialist. He's not even, he's not a communist. He just says these things because he thinks they're, you know, fancy labels and fun. But, but no, I mean he, he wishes that there would be a socialist revolution across the country, but he's not actually going to implement that, as I said, because the Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul won't allow him to do that. So maybe there are liberal voters in New York City out there who are saying, ah, you know, it's going to be benign. At the end of the day, Mamdani, he talks a big game. He's totally an ideologue, progressive ideologue, and he is cozy with radical Islamism. But he's not going to get to actually impose most of this because, first of all, he's got to navigate the City hall bureaucracy. I'm not so sure he's prepared to do that. And also, as I said, the governorship he has to go through, and there's some question as to whether maybe at least Stefanik wins that seat one day and then he's going to have to deal with her. And so he might be a neutered mayor at the end of the day, or one could hope.

[John Bickley]

Yeah. In fact, Cuomo's argument is that, look, this guy has never held a real leadership position. He's not up for the job. In some ways. You're saying there's sort of a hidden message here that could work to Mamdani's advantage. People might not really fear him enough because they assume he doesn't actually know how to govern. Now, in terms of policing, there is a lot of power that a mayor does have with police, including damaging morale. If nothing else, if he does win, what do you think he's going to do with the police department?

[Caroline Downey]

I am most fearful about Mamdani's promises, or I should say threats when it comes to crime, law and order and safety, because he does have some power there. We saw how under Mayor Eric Adams, this is a former law enforcement officer, so he was much more sensitive to the concerns of police, and he wanted to empower them more than his predecessor, which was de Blasio, which I do not remember that era fondly at all. That's when I moved to New York City and it was bleak. And you wouldn't take the subway alone as a single woman. No. That's playing Russian roulette with your life. Would not recommend that. But, you know, if Mamdani gets his way, then, yeah, there's going to be social workers addressing mad lunatics in public transit. How are they going to de escalate that situation? I have not a clue, because you kind of need a weapon as a deterrent to stop that threat. And I've had some close calls in New York City myself, walking alone. I tell all my friends, you have to, because you are basically a lamb going into the slaughter under a Democratic Mayor. Mayor like Mamdani, if you take public transit, I, I don't want, I don't mean that to be fear mongering but to say that they, they're in, they're intent not, not just with that, but also the broader state level with the progressive prosecutors and the bail reform. It's a perfect storm for you to be a sitting doc and you just shouldn't take any chances like that. So I, I am afraid that, that Mamdani will disarm cops, strip them of their lethality, which is the, like I said, the only thing that really is a deterrent to crime and lawlessness. And we're going to have a lot more kind of lunatics, you know, emotionally disturbed people running, running about the streets. And that's a whole nother thing, institutionalization. Because like New York has, has a problem with, with you know, mental mentally ill, homeless, but also serial career criminals who have been let back out to the streets so many times and are allowed to terrorize, especially young women.

[Narrator/Host]

Again, now you mentioned Eric Adams. He was a flawed candidate for reelection. He was unpopular for a lot of reasons we've covered on this show, but he was a centrist Democrat. Do you think the rise of someone like Mamdani ultimately might show that Democrats are rejecting a centrist like Adams? Like you said, for example, it's been an unsafe city for a while now under Adams. So ultimately are they blaming those mainstream Democrats for the state of affairs?

[Caroline Downey]

Well, I think it's important to note that it's not necessarily that New York City is a microcosm of larger Democratic party politics and how the old guard is being pushed out. Those dinosaurs are being replaced by the new and rebellious squad, younger, new blood talent. Because the New York City case has always been very different and distinct. Like as you said, it's high foreign born population. 34% of the voter base I believe is, is under the age of 35. It's pretty high. It's a pretty significant percentage of voters here that are very young and they're, many of them are transplants. They're coming right out of college from other places also millennials. And they have these kind of idealistic views of the world. And I think a big part of the youth momentum for Mamdani is the disenchantment with the economy and cost of living. They feel like they honestly, it's the overproduction of elites that's, that's the problem here is that there's too many wannabe elites who didn't achieve what they thought they were going to achieve. And they're saddled with student loan debt. And here's this guy who looks kind of like them and talks kind of like them, and he's really charismatic, and he's got great graphic design, and he's promising to lighten their load and to give them the kind of acclaim and accomplishment that they always hoped they'd have. They always thought that they would be. They would have achieved XYZ like their parents did by now, and they haven't. So there. There's that element. But I just think New York. How many times has the mayor of New York gone on to national politics, gone on to be a serious contender on the Democratic platform stage? I. It doesn't happen that often. Right. Because the country knows that New York City is kind of a weird case. It doesn't represent the rest of America, the. The heartland and the Rust Belt. No, it's. It's isolated and it's a bubble, and they like it that way. And if they want. I mean, I hate to say it because, like, I live here, but we may have to live through this ridiculous chapter to truly learn the lesson.

[John Bickley]

Yeah. And if Mom Donnie is actually able to get some of his aggressive policies through, I think the fallout will be pretty quick, as we've seen in other cities that have tried similar things. Caroline, thank you so much for talking with us today.

[Caroline Downey]

Thank you so much. Great to see you guys.

[John Bickley]

That was Caroline Downey, and this has been a weekend edition of Morning Wire.