Democrats See Big Election Wins From California To New York City

Summary

The NPR Politics Podcast

Episode: Democrats See Big Election Wins From California To New York City

Date: November 5, 2025
Hosts: Tamara Keith, Domenico Montanaro, Mara Liasson

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Overview

This episode dives into an unexpectedly sweeping series of victories for Democrats in key 2025 off-year elections, spanning from California to New York City. NPR’s senior political team breaks down the results, analyzes the factors at play—including turnout, messaging, and the Trump effect—and discusses the deeper implications for both parties ahead of 2026. The tone is lively, sometimes wry, but always sharply analytical as they move race by race and tease out national themes from local outcomes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Surprising Democratic Momentum

• Significant Margins: Hosts express surprise not at Democratic wins but at the unexpectedly large margins.
  • Tamara Keith (01:24): “Were you two surprised by the results? Because I have to say I was a bit surprised by how significant the margins were.”
  • Mara Liasson (01:43): “Giant turnouts, big margins... the political laws of gravity have not been repealed.”
• Voter Turnout: Large Democratic turnout pointed to enthusiasm and an ability to mobilize in an environment with an unpopular Republican president.

Virginia: Spanberger’s Historic Win

• Governor’s Race: Abigail Spanberger (D) defeats Winsome Earl Sears (R), becoming Virginia’s first female governor.
• Message Discipline:
  • Domenico Montanaro (02:57): “MAGA doesn’t work in a state that leans left... Spanberger ran a race that seemed more in line with what Virginia has trended toward.”
• Kitchen Table Issues & Trump Ties: Spanberger succeeded by blending a focus on economic “kitchen table” issues with critiques of Trump’s national policies, showing Democrats an effective message balance.
  • Mara Liasson (04:50): “She managed to put those two things together...that’s the big takeaway for Democrats wondering about what their message should be.”
• Abortion Rights Still Motivating:
  • Domenico Montanaro (05:27): “Abortion rights was used in closing ads up and down the ballot...really showed how much Democrats still feel there’s strength in that issue.”

New Jersey: Unexpected Democratic Surge

• Governor’s Race: Expected to be close, Democrat Mikie Sherrill defeats Jack Ciattarelli by 13 points.
  • Mara Liasson (05:58): “That was the biggest surprise...she won by a whopping margin. That’s a real blow to Republicans.”
• Latino Voter Dynamics:
  • Domenico Montanaro (06:24): “Latinos are not necessarily in one party’s camp...Sherrill was able to win over counties with strong Latino populations.”
  • Notable example: In Pasaic County (nearly 50% Latino), Trump had previously won by 3 points; Sherrill flipped it to win by double digits (about an 18-point swing).

National Reflections—The Trump Factor

• Trump’s Response: For perhaps the first time, Trump publicly acknowledged Republican setbacks and cited issues like the government shutdown—rather than blaming others.
  • Mara Liasson (08:00): “He was pretty reflective last night...he said the shutdown was a factor that Republicans were going to have to talk about.”
• Double-Edged Sword for GOP:
  • Domenico Montanaro (08:45): “He’s unpopular, he’s a drag on his party when he’s not on the ballot. But when he’s not on the ballot, Republicans can’t seem to turn out conservatives.”
• Ownership of the Economy: Exit polls showed Democrats winning voters most worried about cost of living, an issue once thought to be Republican territory—due to the perception that “Trump owns the economy” and that tariffs and lack of focus on affordability have hurt.
  • Domenico Montanaro (09:38): “This economy is owned by Trump and Republicans and his lack of focus on it came back to bite Republicans last night.”

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California: Prop 50 and Congressional Redistricting

• Proposition 50: Voters passed a measure allowing California to redraw its congressional map to favor Democrats, counterbalancing Republican gerrymandering efforts in Texas and other red states.
  • Mara Liasson (13:43): “This is the spiral of extreme partisan gerrymandering mid cycle, which breaks a political norm...California levels the playing field to a certain extent.”
• Potential National Impact:
  • Domenico Montanaro (14:48): “I think this is a huge win for Democrats because this is the only real opportunity they had to get this many potential seats out of one state. Practically speaking, this may have been the most important election that took place last night.”
• Gavin Newsom’s National Posture: The governor positions himself as a national Democratic leader, with clear 2028 aspirations.

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New York City: Progressive Landmark

• Zoran Mamdani Elected Mayor: Mamdani, a 30-something democratic socialist, becomes NYC’s first Muslim mayor.
  • Domenico Montanaro (16:45): “There are two kinds of politicians...ones who follow the winds of politics, and those who try to move the needle. That’s Zoran Mamdani.”
• Strategic Messaging: Mamdani finds resonance with clear, bumper-sticker affordability messaging, winning over young progressives—a style distinct from broader Democratic campaigns nationally.
• Three-Way Contest: Trump’s late endorsement of Andrew Cuomo as an independent (“Republicans, don’t vote for the Republican, vote for Cuomo!”) only energized Mamdani’s base.
  • Mara Liasson (18:20): “Mamdani used Trump’s endorsement of Cuomo as a plus for him... that was the kiss of death in New York City.”
• Lessons for Democrats:
  • Run authentic, locally attuned campaigns—there’s no “one size fits all” (see Ocasio-Cortez commentary below).
  • Domenico Montanaro (20:39): “You have to be natural. You have to be authentic.”
• Republican Messaging: Right-leaning media already begins to frame Mamdani as the national face of alleged Democratic “extremism.”
  • Mara Liasson (20:21): “As if he’s the president of the Democrats. But Democrats have an answer now—Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill.”
• AOC on Diversity of Styles:
  • Domenico Montanaro (20:39): “AOC said...there’s one assignment, and it’s to send the strongest fighters for the working class wherever possible. In some places, like Virginia, that’s going to look like Abigail Spanberger. In New York City, unequivocally, it’s Zoran Mamdani.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Big Picture & Voter Turnout: 01:24–02:23
• Virginia Governor’s Race: 02:40–05:41
• New Jersey Results & Latino Voters: 05:41–07:29
• Trump’s Reaction & GOP Dilemma: 07:29–10:58
• California’s Prop 50 & Gerrymandering: 13:22–15:57
• NYC Mayoral Race & Lessons for Democrats: 15:57–21:41

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Election Surprises:
  “I was more surprised at just how wide the sweep of Democratic wins were up and down the ballot across the country.”
  — Domenico Montanaro (02:23)

• On Trump’s Unexpected Reflection:
  “He said it was not a good night for anybody. He said that the shutdown was a factor that Republicans were going to have to talk about what this means for them. He was pretty reflective last night.”
  — Tamara Keith (07:29)

• On the GOP’s Trump Problem:
  “He’s unpopular, he’s a drag on his party when he’s not on the ballot. But when he’s not on the ballot, Republicans can’t seem to turn out conservatives.”
  — Domenico Montanaro (08:45)

• On Localized Democratic Strategies:
  “There’s this ridiculous conversation going on now about whether Democrats should run like Mamdani or Spanberger. I mean, it’s crazy. They should do whatever is good and works for their state or district.”
  — Mara Liasson (18:20)

• On Authenticity in Campaigns:
  “You have to be natural. You have to be authentic.”
  — Domenico Montanaro (20:39)

• AOC’s Perspective:
  “I don’t think our party needs to have one face, that there’s one assignment, and it’s to send the strongest fighters for the working class wherever possible.”
  — Quoting Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, via Domenico Montanaro (20:39)

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Takeaways

• Democrats’ victories were broad, deep, and rooted in turnout and effective issue selection—particularly on cost-of-living and abortion rights.
• Republicans are seeing structural and messaging challenges from both their close affiliation with Trump and their inability to win over independents in this cycle.
• Gerrymandering continues as an arms race, with California’s Prop 50 signaling both a tactical and symbolic win for Democrats.
• Democratic candidates’ success highlights the importance of running campaigns that fit their unique electorates, rejecting a one-size-fits-all national strategy.
• The GOP faces a dilemma: Trump helps drive turnout but is also an anchor with crucial swing voters when not personally on the ballot.
• The “face” of the Democratic Party is less important than the authenticity of its candidates and the resonance of their economic messages.

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The hosts end on a note of affirmation—authenticity is key, as is staying tuned for how these results will shape both parties’ calculations heading into 2026.

Transcript

[Domenico Montanaro]

On the Throughline podcast from npr, the story of the undersea cables that run the Internet. Other historians have compared it to the.

[Mara Liasson]

Apollo missions of going to the moon.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Listen to Throughline in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, this is Heather Van Alst of Somerville, Massachusetts. I'm at the Kentucky Horse park in.

[Mara Liasson]

Lexington, Kentucky, heading down to the ring.

[Domenico Montanaro]

To compete at the National Horse show with my horse Clickbait.

[Tamara Keith]

This podcast was recorded at 9:35 in the morning on Wednesday, November 5th.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Things may have changed by the time you hear this, but I will still be spoiling Clickbait, or Levi, as we call him in the barn, absolutely rotten for letting me live out one of my longtime dreams. Here's the show. That's awesome.

[Tamara Keith]

I heard the clip, clop, clip, flip, flop, and I was like, where are we gonna be?

[Mara Liasson]

See, we're talking about the horse race today. Ha, ha, ha, ha.

[Tamara Keith]

Oh, Mara, that is so good. Hey there. It's the NPR Politics podcast. I'm Tamara Keith, senior White House correspondent.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I'm Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent.

[Mara Liasson]

And I'm Mara Liasson, senior national political correspondent. So, senior, it's the Old People show today.

[Tamara Keith]

So there were big wins for Democrats up and down the ballot last night in the states that had elections. And today we are unpack results. And can I just start with this? Were you two surprised by the results? Because I have to say I was a bit surprised by how significant the margins were.

[Mara Liasson]

I was surprised. It shows there's a lot of enthusiasm on the Democratic side, giant turnouts, big margins. A lot of people expected Democrats to win, but they were watching to see by how much. And I think we learned last night that the political laws of gravity have not been repealed. When you have an unpopular president whose policies are unpopular and people are dissatisfied with the economy and the cost of living, that president's party, the incumbent party, loses, and that law has not been repealed. There's something called the thermostatic rule of politics. You know, when a party is way up the next cycle, voters correct that and take them down.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You know, elections usually do tip in one direction or the other. And, you know, I think I was more surprised at just how wide the sweep of Democratic wins were up and down the ballot across the country. You know, everything from these marquee governors races all the way down to the Georgia Public Service Commission.

[Tamara Keith]

So let's go race by race here, starting in Virginia, where Democrats regain the governor's mansion. Abigail Spanberger will be the state's first female Governor beating winsome Earl Sears, who is the outgoing Lieutenant governor. Domenico, what were your big takeaways from that race?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, big shocker. MAGA doesn't work in a state that leans left. I mean, you know, the Republican in that race, Vincent Merle Sears, you know, really ran a race that was centered around a lot of culture war issues. It just didn't feel like it was on message for what the state really has been trending toward. And Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat, obviously, she just seemed to run a race that seemed more in line with what Virginia has trended toward. Glenn Youngkin, who's the current governor, the outgoing Republican governor, when he ran, you know, for this office four years ago, he ran kind of a similar race in some respects to Spanberger, where he was trying to reach out to independents and even some Democrats. You didn't really see that from Sears, but you did see that from Spamberger.

[Mara Liasson]

You know, what stuck out for me in Virginia was that the scandal plagued Democratic Attorney general candidate won anyway. And that shows you this is a kind of Democratic wave. Now look, we freight these off year elections up with too much meaning. They're not necessarily predictive. But that was interesting to me. The other thing that I thought that Virginia told us is that the shutdown message of the Republicans, which is that it's all the Democrats fault, didn't matter. And if it was going to matter, you'd think it would matter in a state like Virginia where there are tons and tons of federal workers who have either been fired or furloughed.

[Tamara Keith]

Right. And in fact, Spanberger made the Trump administration and its policies and its effects effect on federal workers. One of the issues in the campaign, a campaign that was very focused on economic issues, kitchen table issues, some of those things that, you know, like there's sort of a divide in the Democratic Party about what they should be focusing on. Spamberger is like a, a classic case of what the people who say, focus on the kitchen table, focus on the economy, focus on quality of life.

[Mara Liasson]

Well, you know what's so interesting about this big so called civil war inside the Democratic Party. Whether you're people you should go left or, or centrist, you have to do both. And Abigail Spanberger made the cost of living kitchen table issues the centerpiece of her campaign. And she tied it to Trump. She didn't just run an anti Trump campaign. She tied what he's doing in Washington, how he's enriching himself and his friends, how he's cutting taxes for billionaires, but not making it harder for you to buy groceries, et cetera. She managed to put those two things together. And I think that's the big takeaway for Democrats who are wondering about what their message should be.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I also thought, though, in this race in the closing days, how much abortion rights was used in closing ads up and down the ballot, I think really showed how much Democrats still feel that there's strength in that issue as well.

[Tamara Keith]

Let's talk about New Jersey. That's a state where President Trump did endorse the Republican candidate, Jack Ciatarelli. The thought was that it was going to be a much closer race. And as we're taping, Cheryl is up by 13 points. That is a much wider margin than most people were expecting.

[Mara Liasson]

That was the biggest surprise because New Jersey had been very, very close. The last time Jack Ciartarelli tried to be the governor, he lost, but not by much. And Mikey Sherrill was not considered as talented a candidate as, as Abigail Spanberger, but she won by a whopping margin. And I think that's, that's a real blow to Republicans.

[Tamara Keith]

You said you were going to be watching how Latino voters in New Jersey turned out and who they voted for. What's your big take there?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah, it really became a big storyline, frankly. I mean, you know, this was a group that Jack Cittarelli and his campaign thought that they could target. I mean, they, you know, did rallies where they were in North Jersey feeling like that they could win over Latinos and kind of piggyback off of what Donald Trump was able to do in 2024 and be able to make gains with Latinos. But I think it was pret last night that Latinos are not necessarily in one party's camp or the other. Very cleanly, Mikey Sherrill was able to win over the counties in the state that have very strong Latino populations. You know, in Pasaic, Trump had won by three points. This is a place that was, that's almost half Latino, according to the census. Sheryl won it by double digits. So it was a huge swing, 18 point swing we saw.

[Mara Liasson]

You know, and speaking of counties, you know, those maps with all the little teeny weeny red arrows that all went in the Republican direction in 2024. Guess what? All those little teeny arrows are now blue and they're heading in the other direction.

[Tamara Keith]

Yes, it's just sort of stunning how the winds of politics have shifted again. This is an off year election. This is a different electorate, all of these things. But wow, those little arrows did move. And in a strange turn of events, President Trump admitted as much. He said it was not a good night for anybody. He said that the shutdown was a factor that Republicans were going to have to talk about what this means for them. He was pretty reflective last night, Mara. He sent out this social media post.

[Mara Liasson]

Quoting pollsters that was, that was so interesting to me. Trump usually, no matter what happens, everything is great. He's winning. You know, the economy is growing by 20%. But he said in that post last night, he said the two reasons that pollsters cited I'm not on the ballot, also the shutdown. He didn't say the Democrat led shutdown. He said I'm not on the ballot and the shutdown. So he clearly acknowledged that the shutdown was a problem for Republicans. And the thing about I'm not on the ballot, he's never going to be on the ballot again. He's not going to be on the ballot in the midterms either. And what's so interesting is he does energize Republicans. And what he was lamenting was he wasn't on the ballot to energize them, but he energizes Democrats even when he's not on the ballot.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah, this is really a two pronged Republican problem that they have with Trump. You know, he's unpopular, he's a drag on his party when he's not on the ballot. But when he's not on the ballot, Republicans can't seem to turn out conservatives. So, you know, this is, this is a huge issue for Republicans going forward, something they're going to have to really think about for 2026. But, you know, Republicans really haven't had the courage to be able to stand up to Trump, put their necks out there, because they're going to get whacked from the if they do do that, and if they cling too heavily to Trump, they wind up getting dinged from the middle because he's so alienated. Independents, you know, another thing that was really clear. I mean, obviously the cost of living was the top issue for a lot of voters. And what was fascinating in this is that exit polls showed that for the voters who thought that the economy or cost of living was most important, almost two thirds sided with Democrats, which is shocking because Republicans have for so long, you know, felt like they owned the economy. And they certainly did during the 2024 presidential election because prices was so important. But we've seen a remarkable lack of focus on bringing prices down from President Trump as he's been president in this second term. Instead, tariffs have only made Things more expensive. And when he's asked about affordability now, he often pivots to either talking about immigration and crime, two things, by the way, that they did well on last night, Republicans. Or he blames former President Biden. You know, I don't think that strategy is working anymore. And clearly voters are saying this economy is owned by Trump and Republicans. And his lack of focus on it came back to bite Republicans last night.

[Tamara Keith]

Yeah, I set a calendar reminder earlier this year, probably in the spring, when Howard Lutnick, the Commerce secretary, did a TV interview and somebody asked him, when is this going to be Trump's economy? And he said, october. And here we are. Does this result cause some Republicans to have a little pause about how closely they are going to campaign as Trump Republicans?

[Mara Liasson]

I don't think they have a choice. I agree with Domenico. They are stuck. You can't separate yourself from him. He might even come after you. And you can't stick too close to him because you're going to lose independent voters.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And in the more immediate term, you know, you really wonder what it's going to mean for the shutdown. You know, on the one hand, you know, it could mean that Democrats have the wind at their backs and that Republicans would be more willing to negotiate. On the other hand, it could mean that Democrats feel like they have the wind at their backs and Republicans continue to dig in and double down. And Democrats do the same because they don't feel like they need to negotiate either. So, you know, this is gonna be one of those things that's gonna shake out in the next few days to see just how much does President Trump move, because he is, you know, the mountain of Republicanism right now. And if he tells them, go negotiate over health care subsidies, they will do that immediately. If he says no, hold out, and I believe we can, you know, push Democrats on this, then Republicans are going to do that. So this really comes down to one man.

[Tamara Keith]

All right, well, we are going to take a quick break, and we will have more election results in a moment.

[Domenico Montanaro]

This message is from Synchrony bank, who wants to remind you to stay flexible. Not the 10,000 steps before breakfast. Yoga, bending, circus performing, Wish I hadn't done that. Kind of flexible. It's about staying financially flexible. Like with our High Yield Savings Account, you'll earn a great rate without monthly fees or minimums that can slow your Progress. Go to synchrony.com NPR Member FDIC.

[Mara Liasson]

Hey, it's Ray from Car Talk.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Are you tired of all the depth.

[Mara Liasson]

And thoughtful care that goes into NPR shows want some good old fashioned goofing around and stumbling to figure out what's going on? Well, I've been taking a occasional car questions again.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You can hear them by signing up for NPR plus along with lots of other bonus content.

[Mara Liasson]

Just go to plus.npr.org hi, 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 WHYY.

[Domenico Montanaro]

On this week's books we've loved.

[Mara Liasson]

We're headed to the open range with Morning Edition's Michelle Martin to break down Charles Portis classic True Grit.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Find books we've loved in NPR's Book of the Day podcast feed on the.

[Mara Liasson]

NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tamara Keith]

And we're back. Let's look at two other big votes that happened yesterday, starting with California and a ballot measure, Proposition 50, to allow the state to redraw the congressional map and tilt it in favor of Democrats. Mara, Prop 50 passed. As of this taping, it is up over 60% with support.

[Mara Liasson]

That's right. California has taken a pause from its good government reform of having nonpartisan redistricting because Donald Trump told Texas, please find me five more Republican seats in the House. So this is the spiral of extreme partisan gerrymandering mid cycle, which breaks a political norm. Usually it's done only every 10 years after a census, but Republicans still have the advantage in mid cycle redistricting. They have the ability to carve out more Republican leaning districts than Democrats do. But California levels the playing field to a certain extent because it's possible that Democrats can get about five Democratic leaning districts out of a redistricting. So I'm assuming this will just make Trump even more ardent for more red states to redistrict, because if you're looking at a pretty crappy midterm outlook, you want to increase your structural advantages. And gerrymandering is one thing that Republicans can do. And they have more opportunities to do it than Democrats.

[Domenico Montanaro]

But they're already doing it right and pushing it.

[Mara Liasson]

Yeah, they're already doing it as much.

[Domenico Montanaro]

As they possibly could in any of these places. I think this is a huge win for Democrats because this is the only real opportunity they had to get this many potential seats that they could get out of one state. You know, California is so big they could get, as Mara said, up to Five seats, who knows how many? And that would be a huge counterbalance to Texas or other red states where Trump is demanding that he gets more congressional seats to try to shore up control of the House. Practically speaking, this may have been the most important election that took place last night, the most important outcome. And I will also say you gotta look at Gavin Newsom and how he came out last night doing a victory lap. And not only doing a victory lap for this measure, but a victory lap for what I wonder is who he thinks should lead what he called an ascendant party because he made it national. He talked about a whole bunch of different states, the National Guard and Trump, and really goaded him. He really showed that he wants to be that Democratic fighter. And I think that he's obviously someone who's got an eye on 20, 28. Boy, he was happy to lean right into it last night.

[Tamara Keith]

Presidential ambitions not being hidden at all. Mikey Sherrill talked about this last night in her acceptance speech. Governors in the states are where the game is in terms of pushback on President Trump in the next year, because in the House and the Senate, Republicans are in control and they've largely been compliant. And so winning those governor's races for Democrats is significant. Let us move on to New York City. Last but not least, there is a new mayor coming in. Zoran Mamdani. He's a state assemblyman. He's the first Muslim mayor of the city. He's in his early 30s, and he has described himself as a democratic socialist in the Democratic Party. Domenico, starting with you, how do you do?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, I think first and foremost, you know, there are two kinds of politicians. There are ones who follow the winds of politics and the polls. And they decide that they're gonna talk about the issues the way they think the polls are telling them they should talk about the issues. And then there are politicians who try to move the needle by the strength of their arguments, and that's Zoran Mamdani. I think that he is quite the political athlete, certainly for New York City. You know, I mean, New York is not the rest of the country. It's a five to one Democratic, you know, voting advantage. That's why the Democratic primary essentially decides the mayoral race. But here's somebody who started at basically 1% in the polls. Not that many people knew who he was. And he went out with confidence in his message on affordability that nice and neatly fits on bumper stickers. Unlike most of the Democratic Party, who can't figure out how to talk about their complicated policies. He certainly did. And he did it on a lot of different platforms. And he won over enough, you know, people, enough Democrats in particular, progressives, young progressives, to be able to win and become the youngest mayor in New York in a century and the first Muslim mayor.

[Tamara Keith]

Mara, this was a three way race. Andrew Cuomo is a Democrat, but he was running as an independent because he lost in the primary. And then there was Curtis Sliwa, who was the Republican. And late in the game, President Trump came out and said, actually, Republicans don't vote for the Republican, vote for Cuomo. It seems like he did have somewhat of an effect. Sliwa did quite poorly, but it did nothing to prevent Mamdani from winning.

[Mara Liasson]

No. And actually Mamdani used Trump's endorsement of Cuomo as a plus for him. I think he sent it, posted something that said, congratulations, Cuomo, you worked hard to earn this. So that was the kiss of death in New York City. Look, there's this ridiculous conversation going on now about whether Democrats should run like Mamdani or Spanberger. I mean, it's crazy. They should do whatever is good and works for their state or district. Now, there's a lot of things from Mamdani's campaign that Democrats could follow, like how he used social media, how he focused on affordability. Should Democrats run on freezing rent or government controlled grocery stores? No. Maybe that stuff works in New York, but probably nowhere else in the country. And also, if the Republicans are going to try to make Mamdani into the poster child for Democratic leftist extremism, why is Mamdani the poster child? He's just a mayor. Why not Abigail Spanberger?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, because we know why. I mean.

[Mara Liasson]

Yeah, no, I know that it was a rhetorical question.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, yeah, well, they, they found somebody who they think that they can put on a poster and make into a boogeyman the way that they have with Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, also from New York, also considers herself a Democratic socialist. That s word. Socialism is a big reason why they're able to do that. He's also faced attacks for his faith. He's also said some things about Israel that have upset a lot of Jewish voters in New York City. He's said that he thought that the police needed to be defunded before walking that back as he ran for mayor. Because the top thing to be mayor is you got to keep the city safe and you need the cops to do that. Right? So he walked that back and said, safety is a top priority. But I was so fascinated because I was watching three different channels last night, all night, and not once did FOX News take Abigail Spanberger's speech or Mikey Sherrill's speech. What were they talking about? But Zoran Mamdani.

[Mara Liasson]

Yeah, as if he's the president of the Democrats. But Democrats have an answer now. Abigail Spanberger and Mikey Sherrill. Also, what's interesting about the word socialism, Donald Trump doesn't talk about socialism. When he talks about Mamdani, he calls him a communist. It just shows you that socialism doesn't pack the negative punches it used to. He has to call him a commie.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I will say, though, tomorrow's point about the fact that you have to run your race the way you should run your race in the district you run in. You have to be natural. You have to be authentic. And the person who most encapsulated that well last night I thought was Alexandra Ocasio Cortez. She was asked on MSNBC about whether or not Mamdani now is the face and soul of the Democratic Party. And she was an early backer of Mamdani. But what AOC said was that I don't think our party needs to have one face, that there's one assignment, and it's to send the strongest fighters for the working class wherever possible. And in some places, like Virginia, that's gonna look like Abigail Spanberger. In New York City, unequivocally, it's Zoran Mamdani. So there is this sort of false choice that people are gonna be talking about, but it is something that Democrats are gonna be debating on what's the best style to push this message of affordability over the next year?

[Tamara Keith]

And I think you're saying the answer is be authentic.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Right. And take lessons where you can, but you gotta be yourself.

[Tamara Keith]

Yeah. Well, let's leave it there for today. We're all ourselves. I'm Tamara Keith. I cover the White House.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I'm Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent.

[Mara Liasson]

And I'm Mara Liasson, senior national political correspondent.

[Tamara Keith]

And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics podcast. I'm Rachel Martin. If you're tired of small talk, check out the Wild Card Podcast. I invite influential thinkers to open up about the big topics we all think about, but rarely talk about. Tune in this fall to hear Mel Robbins, Malala Yousafzai, and Brene Brown talk about everything from grief and God to ambition and forgiveness. Watch or listen on the NPR app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You care about what's happening in the world. Stay informed with NPR's State of the World podcast. In just a few minutes, we take you to stories around the globe. You might hear the latest developments in world conflicts or about what global events mean. For the price of your coffee, listen to the State of the world podcast from NPR.

[Mara Liasson]

Keeping up with the news can feel like a 24 hour job. Luckily, it is our job. Every hour on the NPR News now podcast, we take the latest, most important stories happening and we package them into five minute episodes so you can easily squeeze them in between meetings and on your way to that thing. Listen to the NPR News now podcast now.