Working Families endorsed 4 candidates (
Gothamist): Adrienne Adams, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani and Zellnor Myrie.
Zohran Mamdani (33) was born in Uganda, to Indian parents. Move to Cape Town when he was 5. His mother is a filmmaker (1991 film Mississippi Masala, starring Denzel Washington and 2016 Disney film Queen of Katwe) and his father is an academic at Columbia, who studies colonialism, was expelled from Uganda under the dictator Idi Amin. He's from Queens, he's in the State Assembly. Moved to NYC when he was 7. Went to Bronx Science, then Bowdoin College in Maine with a bachelors in African studies. Mamdani worked as a prevention counselor and cricketer, and attempted a career in
hip hop (
video). He worked on a few political campaigns and then ran himself. His district includes Astoria and Long Island City.
Quoting articles:
Mother Jones Article (3/27/25): He's fundraising well so far. Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran political strategist based in New York City, had a simple explanation for Mamdani’s emergence as the leading progressive contender: “He’s not boring! He’s handsome, articulate, and his ideas are very romantic and interesting.”
The city’s Democratic Socialists of America chapter has added 1,500 members—about a quarter increase—since last October, when it endorsed Mamdani. “We’re not only winning elections with downwardly mobile college-educated people,” said Grace Mausser, co-chair of the local chapter. “We’re becoming more diverse.”
His theory is that the saliency of universal services will win over working-class voters, particularly those who have become disillusioned by the Democratic party. Whether or not he succeeds, Mamdani’s candidacy is a test of the widespread appeal of a left-wing economic populist platform, at a time when Democrats desperately need to find a better message.
He has steadfastly condemned Israel’s war on Gaza, even as pro-Israel PACs have spent millions to sink progressive candidates nationwide. Mamdani likes to joke that, as a Muslim and a socialist, he is “no stranger to bad PR.”
Mamdani brought that penchant for showmanship to the state Assembly after being elected in 2020, ousting a popular incumbent. As a legislator, Mamdani was skilled at winning over powerful allies. In 2021, he helped the taxi drivers’ union win debt relief, with the backing of New York Sen. Chuck Schumer. When union members went on a hunger strike to try to force a deal, Mamdani fasted alongside them all 15 days.
...a recent poll shows Mamdani 10 points ahead of the next progressive candidate, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.
Politico (3/22/25): ...some recent polling even has him in second place in the crowded field of 11-plus candidates — behind only former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a dynastic politician who is the prohibitive favorite to win the Democratic primary in June.
Bernie Sanders playbook: Pick a handful of straightforward economic proposals that would impact the daily lives of regular people and repeat, repeat, repeat. Attendees of a Bernie rally are primed to chant Medicare for All before they even get there. Now, thanks to his social-media savvy outreach, Mamdani draws crowds ready to sing along to his own greatest hits.
Thoughts: The idea that he can't win is based in a kind of assumption about how left a candidate can win. I don't actually know, and nobody really knows, how left a candidate can win. When he doesn't win, they'll say I told you so, but is it really true that there's a too left candidate that can't win, or they just don't communicate well in the campaign, or money overwhelms them from the other side, which has a moneyed interest in them not winning. I'm not convinced in the too left to win argument. Obviously I'm too left myself.
Regarding
Cuomo who is leading: He wouldn't make my top 5. The reason he resigned is the reason he shouldn't run again. People can change, but they don't have the right to run for government. His name recognition gives him a huge advantage. I basically don't think he deserves to win because of name recognition, but it's a real factor in reality, but not why I would vote for him. (
NPR article on resignation.)
Same with Eric Adams. He's running as an independent because the Democratic party doesn't want him to run under their ticket. I guess he doesn't have enough power in the party to over-ride them. I like that. I would never vote for him. He didn't make my top 5 last time. He's too corrupt, should be in jail, it's only sucking up to Trump that got him off the hook--another element of his corruption.
Probably it will be a fight between Adams and Cuomo and the Republican, maybe Curtis Sliwa. Adams wasn't on my top 5 and he won, so thinking my opposite instincts will be right.
Adrienne Adams is a 64 year old Speaker of the New York City Council. Her district includes the Queens borough neighborhoods of Jamaica, Rochdale Village, Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park. I'm sure she would be fine. She seems like the uninteresting type of person we need to just get things done. I'll probably include her in my 5 for the democratic primary.
My 9 year old daughter wants to vote for
Jessica Ramos based on looks and gender. She also liked Adrienne Adams. She favors women. Ramos is a 38 year old state senator who represents Corona, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights. She was born at Elmhurst Hospital and grew up in Astoria. She has Colombian heritage. She quit Hofstra to work for New York City Council Member
Hiram Monserrate. I'm not sure why she didn't get the Working Families endorsement. She's had high level communications jobs, and is journalists go to hispanic politician.
Brad Lander is the 55 year old Comptroller for NYC. He grew up in St. Louis in a Jewish family. He got a masters degree in anthropology in London, and urban planning from Pratt. He is described as a progressive. He's been on the city council. Seems like a competent government worker, he's probably going to make my top 5 for the democratic primary.
Zellnor Myrie is a 38 year old state senator representing Brooklyn. He was born in Brooklyn to parents who were born in Costa Rica. He went to Fordham and got a masters in urban studies. He went to Cornell Law School. Myrie proposed to increase housing supply in New York City by 700,000 homes by allowing more housing in neighborhoods with stringent zoning rules, in order to alleviate the housing shortage in the city. He's another candidate to consider for top 5.
My 5: Zohran Mamdani, Adrienne Adams, Jessica Ramos, Brad Lander, Zellnor Myrie
So I wrote this above summary on 4/3/25, and thought I would follow these people in the news to see how things go and add in information. The election is on November 4, 2025, but the primary is more interesting to me on June 24, 2025, that's less than 3 months to pay attention.
