Zohran Mamdani, the 111st Mayor of New York City, has secured his election because of the many promises he made to the electorate. Some are relatively easy, such as freezing rents, while many others are difficult in an atmosphere of financial stringency. He will need to hit the ground running, and that too at a higher speed than his predecessors such as Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams. Before he turned to seeking electoral office, Mayor Mamdani was known for fiery words on soaking the rich in order to make them pay more than their accustomed share of taxes. He had some choice but tasteless epithets against groups he disliked, including those who profess the Jewish or the Hindu faith. Both groups have been prominent in helping craft a better New York and happier New Yorkers. Candidate Mamdani sharply toned down his earlier invective. Now will Mayor Mamdani do the same?
He needs to draw a lesson from the experience of Gavin Newsom, still the Democratic frontrunner for the Presidency of the US in 2028. When suggestions surfaced in local media about the intent of the California Governor to raise taxes substantially on the billionaire class, several threatened to leave the state, thereby sharply depleting its taxpayer resources. Newsom faces the issue of weakening the prosperity of California or refusing to do so, thereby incurring the wrath of the left fringe, a not inconsequential force in his party. A problem for him are his Presidential ambitions. To win, he will need to attract voters not in sync with the left fringe in the country, and to offer greater prosperity to them just as Trump did in 2024. Newsom can campaign on a pledge to roll back the trillion dollar tax cut enforced by President Trump, which sent US finances into a tizzy. Many if not most billionaires would be happy to give their pre-Trump levels of tax, and by so offering, would not discomfit them while pleasing the Democratic voter base. Newsom is unlikely to face off against Trump, for he is not going to be given the Presidential candidature of the Republican Party, given his performance during Trump 2.0. As of now, Vice-President Vance is likely to be his challenger, who if he restrains his excess of loyalty towards present day Trumpism would be a worthy competitor to Governor Gavin Newsom.
As for New York, what counts for voters in New York City and elsewhere in the US is if Mayor Mamdani delivers results in the fields of affordable healthcare, housing and grocery bills. If his Mayoral record does not match his campaign promises, he will be toast on the campaign trail in the coming US elections. It is hardly rocket science to say that New York City has thrived thus far because of the myriad faiths and ethnicities that have been welcomed into the city. As Mayor, Mamdani will be on test to demonstrate by deeds and not mere words that the present occupant of Gracie Mansion (the Mayoral residence) has understood and imbibed the spirit of the city. New York needs more private investment to create the additional jobs that are needed by the residents of the city.
President Trump has shown a penchant for the superficial, i.e., appearance. Among his first comments to Mamdani were, “Wow. You are even more attractive in person than you are on television.” The Republican Party is unlikely to adopt the flattering approach of President Trump to Mamdani. Instead, they are going to be keeping a watchful and not friendly eye on whether his actions match or are even close to his campaign rhetoric. Not just the residents of New York City, not just the US as a whole but much of the world will be watching out for his performance on the job. Tens of millions, and perhaps it may be safe to say that hundreds of millions would be watching what Mamdani is doing, not saying.
A campaign is when saying counts, but once in power, it will be not speeches but actions that count. By now, he would have seen the immensity of the challenge he faces even to retain the confidence of those who voted for him. His win was no landslide, but was made possible by the presence of a Republican candidate who publicly admitted to having no chance of winning, but whose entry would ensure that Mamdani wins. There is a Byzantine theory that Republicans wanted a Mamdani win, to paint a sharp contrast between themselves and the Democratic choice for nomination as the candidate for the Mayoral polls. Mamdani needs to show that he is cosmopolitan and not sectarian is his vision. That tolerance and not fanaticism drives his thinking and the actions which flow out of them. Writing him off would be prejudiced and premature. Mamdani should show that he has truly moved away from his earlier hate-filled rhetoric, especially against those living in or visiting New York. Otherwise, it would be curtains for national success following his Mayoral victory.
