As the New York City mayoral race enters its final stretch, it is looking increasingly likely that, without anything drastic happening, Zohran Mamdani will be crowned the eventual winner — and a lot of progressives are excited. Mamdani, relatively new to the political scene, is expected to shake up the Democratic scene with his youthful support base and socialist policies. While this might win him the election in overwhelmingly leftist NYC, it should not serve as a blueprint for Democrats across the nation as they try to win back Congress this midterm season.
Even a surface look at Mamdani’s policies and ideas shows how ludicrous and futile they are. On housing, Mamdani imagines a scenario where he can freeze rent for nearly one million people across the city while tripling the number of affordable housing units. This is a folly on two ends: one, it is simply an untenable policy with disastrous effects; and two, it is infeasible with the powers afforded to him as a potential NYC mayor. In an empirical study published in the Journal of Housing Economics, researchers found that while rent freezes could help alleviate rent issues for families in controlled units, they also raised prices for uncontrolled units, reduced housing mobility and caused a decline in residential construction.
If his first proposal fails to impress, his second idea — tripling the public housing supply — had better be good. Unfortunately for Mamdani, while NYC added 33,715 new affordable homes in 2025, the second highest annual increase in its history, the housing crisis persists. The number of homeless individuals doubled from 2022 to 2024, while in many neighborhoods, home prices have doubled since 2014. Even with increased construction, City Hall has not made a dent.
Not only does his housing proposal look more like a fairy tale than a concrete plan, Mamdani’s other ideas also seem increasingly flimsy. On immigration, he wants to bar ICE officers from city facilities, which he cannot legally do. On affordability, he proposes government-owned grocery stores funded by taxes — which the wealthy can avoid by simply moving to Long Island. Even Mamdani’s flagship free-bus initiative will bring New Yorkers little help, considering that only 15% of riders say that lower fares would meaningfully improve overall satisfaction with the bus system.
So, why is Zohran Mamdani seen as the future of the Democratic Party?
I would argue it is because Mamdani, and by extension the progressive crowd, promises a lot — spinning tales of driving down costs, offering free programs and creating a government that seems responsive to the wishes of the public. Compare this to Chuck Schumer and the rest of the Democratic establishment, whose idea of action is a “strongly worded letter,” and one can see Mamdani’s appeal. He is an outsider, charismatic and speaks as though he can actually get things done. What’s not to like?
Well, clearly a lot is not to like. He might be able to win New York City, but his success should not be seen as a blueprint for national Democrats. The label “democratic socialist” alone would be devastating to the center-left brand. Republicans are practically foaming at the mouth at the idea of Democrats following Mamdani’s footsteps, eager to paint them as property-abolishing, crime-enabling socialists.
Mamdani and his ideas would be cataclysmic for Democrats in this midterm election cycle. It would be unacceptable for the core of the center-left bloc within the Democratic Party to allow Mamdani and his socialist buddies to influence national policy. Mamdani does not and has never offered any realistic plans to solve this country’s problems. His ideas are unfeasible, unrealistic and provide poor optics for an already beleaguered party. What Democrats need is decisive, New Deal-style leadership that calls for more realistic goals, such as jobs programs or a lasting border policy.
I am personally not from New York City and have no firsthand experience with the problems its residents face on a daily basis. I am not calling on students from NYC to avoid voting for Mamdani if he is your preferred candidate — I personally think he’s better than independent candidate Andrew Cuomo. But I do know his image is not suitable for national politics, and his ideas are not right for this country. If any of you are considering supporting Mamdani and his platform this midterm cycle, all I can say is: Say no to Comrade Mamdani!
