Noel King (2:43)

You were talking Mamdani voters last night. You were out in the streets. You were at a couple parties. Where did you go and what did you hear?

Asted Herndon (2:50)

We went to Astoria, the neighborhood in Queens that is part of Mamdani's district, but also I think a place that represents the of the Maidani coalition And we were talking to a lot of folks yesterday who talked about voting for the mayor's race for the first time. Talking about being excited by his kind of long standing advocacy, particularly on the pro Palestinian cause. But the thing I most remember is how much the word authenticity came up over and over. More the kind of right, left, like.

Zoran Mamdani (3:17)

The back room wheeling and dealing. That stuff is over. I think honest messaging is important. I think he was genuine with his intentions and he could understand the general public.

Asted Herndon (3:29)

There was a sense that the guy we see is the guy we know and we've known for a long time. We talked to one person about how she remembers Mamjani years ago when he was working with cab drivers as a state assemblyman.

Noel King (3:41)

He got like a whole coalition of cab drivers in our area and they were all swagged out, cabs basically like this. The fact that all the cab drivers were mobilized, all the yellow cabs were just lit up all over the avenue. We were like, okay, you know, and that was here. So that's before, right? Yeah, that's before. So from there we've just kind of had an eye.

Asted Herndon (4:01)

I think that's beyond right and left, but really having a sense and trust of a person and that really driving your connection to them.

Noel King (4:09)

All right, so the question is, how did he do it? This young guy comes out of nowhere. Nobody really knows who he is. He then goes on to dominate the Democratic primaries to completely unsettle Andrew Cuomo and at the end of the day, to win how?

Asted Herndon (4:23)

Well, this is something he manifested. No one asked or Donnie to run. He really saw an opportunity to step in to a moment where he felt that his life had kind of built him to being able to bring together these different coalitions.

Zoran Mamdani (4:39)

And we won because we insisted that no longer would politics be something that is done to us. Now it is something that we do.

Asted Herndon (4:49)

When I asked Mamdani, how did he put kind of particularly his primary rise together, he says he started with three different groups. He thinks about his association with the Democratic Socialists of America.

Zoran Mamdani (4:58)

Call it democracy or call it democratic socialism. There has to be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children in this country.

Asted Herndon (5:04)

He also talks about his association with the Muslim Democratic Club of America. That campaigns he's been a part of throughout that group had taught him about reaching out to Muslim and South Asian groups. And that that kind of growing coalition, that growing community in the city, he felt was an untapped political resource and a place that could really rally around him. The third Thing I think is important is what he calls the root of his political formation, which is his pro Palestinian advocacy. This is someone who started a chapter for Students for Justice in Palestine in college. This is someone who has been part of those organizing efforts over the year and most recently was part of the Democratic movement to push back against Joe Biden in terms of voting uncommitted in New York.

Zoran Mamdani (5:47)

And I said time and time again that my concerns, beyond those of just moral ones with the administration's support of the Netanyahu government, was that it was turning many away from an election where we so desperately needed to build a coalition to defeat Donald Trump.

Asted Herndon (6:01)

And because he is an early advocate for a ceasefire, because he is an early critic of Democrats standing with Netanyahu, that drives people toward him in the early stages of that primary in the way that other folks really weren't able to do. The other way that Mamdani stuck out, of course, is through his use of social media.

Zoran Mamdani (6:19)

I'm freezing your wreck as the next mayor of New York City. Let's plunge into. Into the details. My team says I move my hands too much in these videos, so for this one, they're staying in my pockets.

Asted Herndon (6:28)

And I would say it's important to note that this was very intentional. When I talked to people who were connecting with Zoran during his kind of early stages of the race, he was saying, I know I'm gonna be outraised in terms of money. I'm gonna have to create a movement that also exists online. He studied AOC and her digital communication. This is someone who is the son of a filmmaker, was really interested in the ways of those early storytelling. Someone who had a previous rap and this thought about music videos and things like that. And he was really coming into this race thinking, how do I make sure I'm not just creating a field organization, but a digital organization?

Noel King (7:07)

Mamdani's views on Palestine benefited him, it seems a lot with young voters. But they also raised questions about whether his views would be a liability in New York City with a lot of Jews, right? A lot of Jewish voters. How did he handle that? And what did the results last night? Telling us about what? Whether New York's Jews trust Mamdani.

Asted Herndon (7:27)

It is undeniable that Andrew Cuomo was able to drive up votes, particularly among the kind of Republican or more conservative strongholds in New York City in the Orthodox community. It's true that among kind of younger Jewish voters, particularly in places like Brooklyn, there were a lot of voters who saw no problem with their own faith. And identity and voting for Zuramdani. And so it's a little, I think, more nuanced than just saying, are there pockets of that have found Mamdani not willing to stand up for their community? Certainly, and you have seen that kind of pushback. But he has made a point, and I think even in his speech last night, he made a point to say, I look forward to standing with Jewish New Yorkers to stand up against anti.

Zoran Mamdani (8:10)

Semitism and we will build a city hall that stands steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers and does not waver in the fight against the scourge of anti Semitism.

Noel King (8:23)

You profiled Mamdani for your former employer, the New York Times, and in your big piece, you wrote that you were struck by the fact that he adapted his strategy to keep his momentum going after he did so well in the primaries. Talk about what that adaptation looked like and what it got him.

Asted Herndon (8:43)

A lot of kind of more establishment corporate Democrats are currently dealing with right now, the balance between winning and values. But there's been a lot of kind of left progressive folks who have prioritized values over winning. And what Madani says is that that is a mistake, he would say, particularly for the role of mayor. It's not one that rewards rigidity. And so you have to sort of compromise. And so after the primary, Mamdani and his campaign made a concerted effort to show that. And so this is mostly happening in private. He is following up with a lot of business leaders. He is reaching out to members of the tech community, and he was holding kind of small get to know you sessions, even at his campaign, where folks could ask him direct questions. Now, I think the interesting part of this thing is in these private meetings, he was willing to kind of present a, I would say more pragmatic part of himself, not necessarily as a Jekyll and Hyde from the primary, but I really think as an evolution that took place for him over time. By the time he was running for mayor, he was willing to make these compromises and he was telling folks in public and private. I think that includes things like being willing to step away from the millionaires tax if he could find money and resources other places. He also importantly said, and I think I heard this repeatedly, he would not have litmus tests for the people he surrounds himself with that he wanted a sort of team of rivals and that even issues like his pro Palestinian advocacy would not be make or breaks for people in City Hall. And so those were the kind of pivots he was willing to do to Tell people, I understand the role that I am stepping into, and I am willing to kind of make my values fit into that role.

Noel King (10:25)

Even as Mamdani was adapting and evolving, President Trump became kind of a specter instead hovering over this race. Yeah, he had a lot to say about Mamdani. And in fact, last night I was reading that midway through Mamdani's acceptance speech, Trump went on Truth Social and wrote, and so it begins in all capital letters, dot, dot, dot. I mean, what is going on between these two men? And how do you see this playing out as Mamdani takes office?

Asted Herndon (10:53)

Well, for the, you know, Trump feels a personal ownership of New York, not just a personal investment in New York City. This is someone who's a Florida resident in name and taxes only, but his heart is still in Manhattan. And I think he sees Bondani as a worthy foe. I think he sees him as someone who has represented the ways the city changes. It's going to be hard for me as the president to give a lot.

Noel King (11:20)

Of money to New York because if you have a communist running New York.

Asted Herndon (11:26)

All you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there. So. And Donald Trump, I think more than the Republican Party at large, especially invested in pushing back against them. And so when you see Mamdani yesterday in that speech, turn and talk directly to Donald Trump and say, you know, you're gonna have to go through all of us. When you see him kind of speak directly to Trump on Fox News, that is because he is inviting a fight that they are preparing for and a. That they frankly feel is inevitable.

Noel King (11:56)

All right, so this was one of the first big races since the 2024 election, when President Trump won one of the first big races that we're told can sort of tell us how the Democratic Party is doing. What are the lessons from this race, do you think?

Asted Herndon (12:12)

I think there's several. You know, I was really up close to the Democratic Party's retreat from working class Americans. I saw it, I felt it. I could feel them increasingly become obsessed with things that were not tangible to people. Things like representation being their deliverable for black and Latino communities over kitchen table, economic prices, style things, stepping away from unions, things like that. And I think what Mamdani, one of the lessons of Madani is a return to a type of politics that people can feel and I think beyond the kind of right, left, center of it all, a lesson that Democrats can take in part of that authenticity that we were hearing people liked about him from the Watch Party comes not only in the consistency of his beliefs, but the fact that his policies are targeted at those same communities who powered his rise. And so more, I think, than even the values that Mamdani holds. I think there is a, a, a broader lesson that one way, the way you build trust, the way you build authenticity, is by coming from a place where you're shaping your policies around your actual beliefs. What Mamdani does is start from his premise. And so, you know, when I'm at that rally and he says freeze the and the crowd can reply or, you know, make buses fast and they can reply, that reminds me of the moment at the Trump rally where he says, build the wall.

Noel King (13:47)

Build that wall.

Asted Herndon (13:49)

There's a tangible expectation that the value itself is what's driving the policy and voters can latch onto it. And I'm saying that's, I think a lesson is to be able to have things that people can feel and people can be excited about.

Noel King (14:08)

Vox's Asted Herndon. You want to stick around for the second half?

Asted Herndon (14:11)

Yeah, let's do it.

Noel King (14:12)

All right. We're going to talk about the results of some other big races last night. Foreign for TODAY Explained comes from Shopify. Shopify believes that one of the most exciting parts of starting a business is when the sales start coming in. That makes sense if your business is looking to start selling online. Shopify has everything you need to create your online store. Shopify says they're the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and they say 10% of all E commerce in the US from those household names like Mattel and Gymshark to newer brands with hundreds of ready to use templates. Shopify says Shopify can help you build a beautiful online store to match your brand's style. They say their platform is packed with those AI tools that write product descriptions, page headlines, and even enhance your product photography. Best of all, according to Shopify, Shopify can help your business with world class expertise in everything from managing your inventory to international shipping to processing returns and so much more. If you want to see fewer carts being abandoned, it's time for you to head over to Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today. @shopify.com explained go to shopify.com explained. That's shopify.com explained. Support for today explained comes from AT&T. There's nothing worse than needing to make a call and realizing you can't connect, says AT&T. And of course every wireless provider will claim that they are the best, but AT&T says AT&T has the goods to back it. According to root metrics, AT and T earned the best overall network performance. While the other guys are busy making claims they can't keep, AT&T says they're making connections on America's fastest and most reliable wireless network. No matter if you're at a concert, a huge sporting event, or just out enjoying nature, you can post when you want to post. Don't post when you're enjoying nature. Guys. Keep it in control. Call when you want to call, and rest easy knowing that no matter where you go, AT and T has got you covered. When you compare, there's no comparison AT and T based on root metrics. United States root score report 1h2oh25 tested with best commercially available smartphones smartphones on three national mobile networks across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. Root metrics rankings are not an endorsement of AT and T. Support for Today Explained comes from Udacity. Udacity says they can help you prepare yourself to be able to use I T. Udacity is an online learning platform. It has courses in AI and tech, Generative AI, agentic AI, Python, Data science. So much more when you learn with Udacity. According to Udacity, you're not just passively watching videos or reading articles, maybe even books. You're doing practical exercises and projects that prepare you for the job you want. That's why they claim 90% of Udacity graduates surveyed say they achieved their enrollment goal. Udacity just launched a master's degree in AI. When you have a certification from Udacity, they say recruiters and employers take notice. You can check out Udacity today. The tech field is always evolving. You should be too. You can try Udacity risk free for seven days. You can head to udacity.comexplained use code explained for 40% off your order. Once again, udacity.comexplained for 40% off make sure you use the promo code, explained Mr. Mamdani.

Zoran Mamdani (17:57)

There are many parades that I would not be attending because I'd be focusing.

Asted Herndon (18:00)

On today, explained.

Noel King (18:04)

I'm Noel King, back with Vox's Asted Herndon Aesthet. There were a couple of other big races around the country last night and the results have got people talking about a blue wave.

Asted Herndon (18:14)

What happened last night was a great night if you had a D next to the end of your name, and that's not something we could have said for a long time. Time beyond New York City Democrats won two headline governors races in New Jersey, where Congresswoman Mikey Sherrill was Successful Sherrill.

Noel King (18:32)

Defeated President Trump back to Republican Jack Cittarelli by an estimated 13 percentage point. Here in New Jersey, we know that this nation has not ever been, nor will it ever be, ruled by kings.

Asted Herndon (18:48)

And in Virginia, where Congresswoman Abigail Spamberger will become the first woman to be governor, if that's a commonwealth, as they like to remind us, not a state.

Noel King (18:58)

We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship. We chose our commonwealth over chaos.

Asted Herndon (19:18)

Even beyond that, there were two Democrats who won statewide. In Georgia, the first time that that has happened in a very long time. In local races, flips from R to D. And in California, importantly, Governor Gavin Newsom's gambit about redistricting, which gives Democrats there the opportunity to draw new congressional maps and combat Republican tactics in places like Texas, passed overwhelmingly as well tonight.

Sponsor/Advertisement Voice (19:43)

After poking the bear, this bear roared.

Asted Herndon (19:46)

The results, I think, confirm the evidence of the polling data as well, which is that there is a broad discontent with Trump's second term. The sequel is not as popular as the original. And in the key areas, particularly his handling of the economy, of prices, of discontent around tariffs. Donald Trump has taken what has been his best issue as kind of a safe and prosperous manager of country and made it among his worst. And Democrats were able to seize on that all across the country.

Noel King (20:19)

Let's talk about the two big races you mentioned, the governor's races in New Jersey and Virginia. Mikey Sherrill wins in New Jersey. Abigail Spanberger wins in Virginia. These two women have some stuff in common, not just that they won last night. Tell us about them and what, what they tell us about the Democrats.

Asted Herndon (20:39)

So Sheryl and Spamberger are both members of the same class in the Democratic House of Representatives. They came in in 2018 in that wave against kind of Trump's first election. That really embodied, I think, Democrats first attempts and first efforts at resistance. They both have national security backgrounds in the Navy and in the CIA, and they've really led with that. I think these campaigns represent kind of the early seeds of showing how the more centrist wing, the more moderate wing of Democrats has even started to stretch some new muscles. Sheryl in New Jersey really focused on electricity and bringing down those prices as.

Sponsor/Advertisement Voice (21:16)

A 20% utility rate hike crushes New Jersey families.

Noel King (21:19)

Day one is governor, I'm declaring a state of emergency on utility costs in Virginia.

Asted Herndon (21:24)

Spamberger really focused on the contraction of the federal government and the ways that, you know, the firing of government employees, particularly affected folks in Virginia.

Noel King (21:33)

These are attacks on Virginians and on our economy and we need a governor who will stand up against them.

Asted Herndon (21:41)

That was successful there. And so put New Jersey and Virginia together. And it wasn't just a good night for progressives and the Mamdanis of the world. It was a good night for, I would say, the moderate wing of the party as well and just Democrats broadly.

Noel King (21:54)

Estad. We have heard both Sheryl and Spamberger called 2018 Democrats. Right. They're moderate, they're suburban, they, they're not super interesting. They're not lightning rods for anything. And there was some analysis that said in 2025, you need a candidate like Mamdani, you need a lightning rod. These two women seem to have proved something different here. So what are the lessons here about what kind of candidate works for the Dems?

Asted Herndon (22:21)

Well, the answer is all the above. I don't think that anyone can blanket say that a 2018 Democrat cannot work in 2025. But I think it's also important that who Sheryl and Spamberger were represent a different type of Democrats than I think they were in 2018. And that time the focus was largely on Donald Trump, his actions and not necessarily presenting an affirmative vision on their own. I think both of those candidates did so and made a point to not simply be running against Donald Trump's actions.

Noel King (22:53)

What we will do this November is not just vote against something, but we will vote against for the policies that we believe in.

Asted Herndon (23:05)

I also would say Democrats and I think the parties in general have multiple fights at once and particularly in statewide races and in races where there is a competitive Republican on the other side, the issue of electability, of someone being so called less of a lightning rod or less controversial, it becomes more, becomes more important. Voters want to find someone who maybe can reach out to the other side. There simply aren't enough Democrats in places like Virginia for you to not be able to win over folks with some more conservative leanings. And so that is going to produce a different type of candidate in the Virginias and New Jerseys than it would in the New York City election. But I would also say that Donald Trump won the popular vote because of Democrats erosion in blue areas also. And so it's not as if they can choose candidate that does well in suburbs over candidate that does well in city. You know, the Democrats national success has come from when they've found candidates who can do all of the above or at least minimize the worst of some of those things.

Noel King (24:07)

What questions still remain unanswered for both Republicans and Democrats going forward after last night?

Asted Herndon (24:15)

Yeah, I think that Republicans have the same problem that we knew they had in the Biden era that they have not solved since Donald Trump showed up on the scene, which is that in elections where he is not on the ballot, they have not been able to put it together. So they underperformed in the 2022 midterms. They lost seats in that 2018 midterms. And without the kind of uniqueness of the Donald Trump only voter, their coalition is very beatable. For Democrats on the Democratic side, I think there is both hope and peril. I think the hope here is that it shows how this big tent party, a version of the party that includes both Madani, Sheryl and Spamberger, has an opportunity to really claw back some of the losses that they've seen over the last several years. The peril is that the path to success in the midterms is not the same as the path to success in the presidential race and particularly the presidential primary. The conversation that Democrats have to have amongst themselves to produce their nominee is much more on the terms of the Zoramdani race than it is on the Spamberger Sherrill race. The New York City electorate and that diversity and that scope is I think a harbinger of the ways that the party is changing across the country. And I think shows if you are someone who doesn't want the Bernie Sanders wing of the world to take over the Democratic Party, I think you could take Boudani's win as a warning sign that they have learned some lessons about how to win and that this version of Democrats wants to fight and wants values and is mad at their party previous leaders so much that words like socialism are not inherently scary. Words like the charge of antisemitism was not inherently off putting. And so those are a lot of methods that the centrist kind of moderate wing is used to having. And so they're gonna have to find a different way to win other than just telling people we're more electable because I don't think that reasoning has the same validity among Democrats.

Noel King (26:36)

Vox is Asted Herndon. Thanks so much, Asted.

Asted Herndon (26:39)

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Noel King (26:46)

Ariana Espudu and Miles Bryan produced today's show. Aminah El Saadi edited. Patrick Boyd and Adrian Lilly are our engine and Laura Bullard and Denise G. To check the facts. I'm Noel King. It's Today Explained. Remember, you can go to Vox.com members to take advantage of our membership sale.

Asted Herndon (27:18)

Sam.