Seated next to veteran progressive politician Bernie Sanders, Zohran Mamdani addressed 1,700 people, asserting his position as the clear frontrunner in the city’s mayoral race. This contest is now garnering national attention as progressives see candidates like him as a way to invigorate their movement, while also fueling anger and coordinated attacks from the right, including from President Donald Trump.
“Politics can be powered by ordinary people,” Mamdani told the audience.
The event, part of Sanders’s tour that has already reached 21 states and more than 300,000 people, highlighted the growing national focus on New York’s mayoral race and the increasingly hostile rhetoric from the White House toward the progressive assembly member.
On Friday, Trump incorrectly referred to Mamdani—a democratic socialist—as “a communist.”
Mamdani has long faced criticism from more moderate Democrats and Republicans for his policies, which they have labeled as unrealistic and extreme, particularly his approach to economic issues. However, the message about growing income inequality and the consolidation of wealth resonated strongly with his supporters.
Sanders focused on national issues, directing sharp criticism at billionaire owners of major media companies, including David Ellison, who oversees Paramount, which owns CBS News. Sanders argued that under their new ownership, these companies are not being critical enough of the White House.
Trump’s Alleged Interference and the National Push
Mamdani’s campaign is unfolding amid concerns that the Trump administration may be trying to interfere in the New York mayoral race. There are allegations that the administration has offered support to incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is currently in fourth place in the polls, trailing Mamdani. According to most major polls (with the exception of one from the right-leaning Manhattan Institute), Mamdani holds a double-digit lead over his nearest competitor, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa, is polling behind Adams.
Adams is reportedly being considered for a role in the Trump administration, with The New York Times citing sources who say Trump is considering nominating him to be the ambassador to Saudi Arabia. On Friday, Trump denied these claims.
The reports came days after Adams denied being in talks with the Trump administration for a post in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
While Mamdani holds a significant lead in the polls, he has not yet surpassed the 50 percent mark.
Progressive Gains Beyond New York
The New York mayoral race has attracted significant attention as the nation’s largest city and a global financial and media hub, but it is not the only place where progressives are making strides. Across the U.S., left-leaning candidates are mounting challenges in cities both large and small, often centered on widening income inequality, housing costs, and worker protections.
Sanders suggested that Mamdani’s surge and the subsequent backlash from the White House are due to the progressive wave’s momentum.
“What they are afraid of is Mamdani becoming an example of what could happen all over the U.S.,” Sanders told supporters.
In Minneapolis, state Senator Omar Fateh, a progressive Democrat, is running for mayor against incumbent Jacob Frey. His campaign, which echoes Mamdani’s themes, emphasizes affordable housing and stronger worker protections.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, Alex Uballaz is running on a “housing for all” platform, pledging tougher rental protections and more transitional housing for residents struggling with addiction.
In Seattle, Washington, progressive organizer Katie Wilson is challenging Mayor Bruce Harrell with a platform focused on the rising cost of housing, homelessness, and support for small businesses.
However, the movement faces obstacles, including at the federal level. In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson has clashed with Trump, who has called for federal intervention to address violent crime. Trump has described the city as a “killing field,” even though crime rates have been trending downward. Chicago’s homicide rate in the first half of 2025 was 33 percent less than the same period the year prior.
Returning to New York, Mamdani stated the city must be prepared for a potential similar situation.
“We have to prepare for the inevitability of that deployment. We cannot try to convince ourselves that because something is illegal, Donald Trump will not do it,” Mamdani said.
He emphasized the need for coordination with state officials, citing California as an example, where the mayor of Los Angeles, the state attorney general, and Governor Gavin Newsom successfully challenged a national guard deployment in court, which was ruled as illegal.
Even so, if Trump were to deploy the guard under the banner of fighting crime, he would not be the first. Just last year, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul deployed the national guard to patrol New York’s subway system in the name of public safety, even though crime there had already been steadily declining.
New York police data released last week showed that the city recorded fewer shootings in the first eight months of this year than during any comparable period in its history.
