Democratic Socialist Zohran Kwame Mamdani won the New York City Democratic mayoral primary Tuesday night. Come November, his major competition for the position will come from former NYC Mayor Eric Adams (running now as an Independent) and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
As much or more than any other far-left political group, Democrat Socialists are about promising free stuff. In Mamdani's case, that means freezing rent, making bus transportation free, providing childcare at no cost for every New Yorker between six weeks old and 5 years old, and creating city-owned grocery stores, among other proposals.
According to a Fox News report, some of Wall Street's most influential and powerful financiers "were left grasping" to understand what it would mean for their industry should Mamdani win in November. They're not alone. Stephen Hayford of New York Families Foundation says the proposal on grocery stores alone will decimate the New York economy by driving bodegas and other food suppliers out of business.
"This is somebody who is proudly carrying the mantle of the far left," he tells AFN.
Mamdani plans on paying for all the freebees by hiking taxes, specifically on businesses and the rich, which the Left considers price-gougers and greedy capitalists. As far as social issues, Hayford says there's no surprise there.
"Whether it be full-on access to abortion, whether it be transgenderism, homosexuality, you name it, he is in favor of it," Hayford reports.
And while a New York City mayor doesn't have a lot to do with foreign policy, Mamdani has threatened to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in New York City and hand him over to the international court for a trial on war crimes and crimes against humanity. He opposes an independent Jewish state and often talks about a "Palestinian genocide."
"He is a Muslim," Hayford emphasizes. "He has taken a critical approach in his comments on Israel."
Since his victory on Tuesday, Mamdani's past association with the Holy Land Foundation – an anti-Israel/pro-Hamas organization – caught the attention of a Republican member of the U.S. House. Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee has written to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, calling on the Department of Justice to subject the mayoral candidate to denaturalization proceedings.
"Zohran 'little muhammad' Mamdani is an antisemitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York," Ogles posted on X Thursday. "He needs to be DEPORTED."
Sanctuary policies x 4
An immigration enforcement advocacy organization anticipates another problem should the residents of New York City install Mamdani in the mayor's office. Ira Mehlman, media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, contends Mamdani strongly supports illegal immigration.
"If Mamdani were to become mayor, we can certainly expect that not only would he double down on New York sanctuary policies, he'd probably triple or quadruple down on them," Mehlman tells AFN. "And he would do everything in his power to make sure that they were able to remain there and do whatever they want."
And while Mehlman acknowledges that any Democratic mayoral nominee in a city like New York likely means victory, he says it's not a given that a Republican will lose.
"We have seen in the not too distant past that New York has elected law enforcement-minded mayors who ran as Republican [Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg] …. So, the people of New York are going to have to decide."
The city's only hope?
Curtis Sliwa hopes NYC voters make him the next Republican mayor. The nominee believes he is the only choice they have to save the city. Sliwa founded the Guardian Angels in 1979 as a deterrent to the rising crime and fears of public safety.
During an appearance on the Fox News Channel, he compared Mamdani to another socialist-leaning mayor.
"As goes New York, so goes America. We saw that in Chicago with socialist Mayor [Brandon] Johnson," said Sliwa. "Everything that he did failed – and now Mamdani is going to do exactly the same thing with the help of [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], Bernie Sanders. And now there are [other] Democrats jumping on board … Bill Clinton … Chuck Schumer. They're all jumping on board. I'm the only one who can stop him."
Sliwa says walking on the streets of New York is hazardous.
"Homeless people, emotionally disturbed [people], garbage everywhere. The quality of life is miserable," he described. "One of the outtakes of the election is people were complaining about the lack of affordable housing, the fact that the cost of living is skyrocketing, and the crime. In New York City, we lock up toothpaste in a drug store and we don't lock up criminals. People have had enough. We don't want to go back to these Democrats."
