Far-Left Upset: Socialist Mamdani Defeats Cuomo in NYC Primary, Alarming Centrists and Jewish Community

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – In a stunning rebuke of the Democratic Party’s moderate establishment, Zohran Mamdani–a foreign-born democratic socialist and longtime anti-Israel activist–defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s mayoral primary Tuesday night.

Mamdani, 33, was born in Kampala, Uganda, and moved to New York City as a child. Now a state assemblyman representing Queens, he surged ahead of a crowded Democratic field with 43% of the vote, buoyed by endorsements from far-left figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America.

“Tonight we made history,” Mamdani declared, promising a New York City that is “affordable” and “no longer built for billionaires.” His agenda includes rent freezes, taxpayer-funded universal childcare, free public transit, and government-operated grocery stores.

But critics across the political spectrum warn Mamdani’s agenda is both radical and dangerous.

“This is not the time for radical politics,” said GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa. “It’s time for real leadership. Mamdani is too extreme for a city already on edge.”

A Red Flag for Moderates and the Jewish Community

Mamdani’s victory is more than a generational shift–it’s an ideological earthquake. He has long supported the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, has refused to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, and once compared the Palestinian intifada to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising–a statement condemned by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum as a distortion of history.

His first statement following Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre of civilians notably omitted any condemnation of the terror group, placing blame solely on Israel. He has aligned with fringe groups like Within Our Lifetime, known for openly anti-Israel slogans like “From the river to the sea”–widely understood as a call for Israel’s destruction.

“Mamdani insists he’s anti-Zionist, not antisemitic,” said Democratic Assemblyman Sam Berger. “But when someone consistently targets the world’s only Jewish state while ignoring the world’s worst regimes, that’s not foreign policy–that’s antisemitism.”

A Divided Party, A Dangerous Precedent

Even Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who opted to run as an independent rather than face Mamdani in the primary, lashed out at the socialist candidate.

“He’s a snake oil salesman,” Adams told Fox News. “He’ll say anything to get elected, but he doesn’t understand how to govern. His ideas would destroy this city’s economy.”

Cuomo, once seen as the moderate firewall, conceded the race but hinted he may return in November as an independent.

“I called him, I congratulated him… he won,” Cuomo told supporters, though privately he expressed concern about the party’s hard-left turn.

As New Yorkers face surging crime, spiraling costs of living, and growing antisemitism, Mamdani’s rise represents a high-stakes experiment in socialist governance. He would not only be the first Muslim to lead New York but the first foreign-born mayor in modern history–one whose ideology may clash with the complex realities of running a $115 billion bureaucracy.

As Adams warned: “Hashtags don’t govern. Slogans won’t fix this city. The adults need to show up–and they will in November.”

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