Socialist NYC mayoral candidate warns working class losing faith in democracy

Zohran Mamdani, the self-proclaimed democratic socialist and newly crowned Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, is sounding the alarm about what he calls a "withering faith" in democracy. But the real warning may be what his rise signals for the future of the Democratic Party and America’s largest city.

In an interview with Time Magazine, Mamdani claimed that democracy is "under attack" not just from authoritarianism but from the system’s alleged failure to serve the working class.

“It’s also under attack from a withering faith on the inside of its ability to deliver on these material challenges in working-class people’s lives,” he said.

This is the same candidate who has called for city-run grocery stores, pushed to defund the police, and is now attracting the attention of Obama’s inner circle.

According to the New York Times, former President Barack Obama personally phoned Mamdani after his primary victory in June, reportedly offering guidance on “governing in dark times.” Patrick Gaspard former White House adviser and top Obama aide—has been advising Mamdani and introduced him to Obama campaign guru David Axelrod.

This isn’t just another fringe leftist making noise in a deep blue city. This is the institutional Democratic machine quietly rallying behind a man who wants to dismantle capitalism from the mayor’s office.

Mamdani’s platform includes:

• Defunding and disarming the NYPD

• Abolishing private grocery chains in favor of state-controlled food distribution

• Expanding taxpayer-funded housing with no accountability for tenants

• Eliminating standardized testing and performance benchmarks in public schools

The socialist candidate told Time he now escapes to cemeteries between meetings what he calls “parks without people.” While that may be poetic, it also reflects the grim future his policies would bring to a city already struggling with crime, inflation, and mass exodus.

What’s more dangerous is his view of governance itself.

“I think the most important thing is that people see themselves and their struggles in your campaign,” Mamdani said. “A politics of no translation… that when you read the policy commitment, you understand it as how it applies to your life.”

In other words, he’s advocating for populist socialism wrapped in soft language. No translation needed just trust the government with your groceries, your police, your rent, and your kids’ education.

The fact that Obamaworld is getting behind Mamdani should be a red flag to every moderate Democrat and concerned American. This is no longer the party of JFK or even Bill Clinton. It’s the party of radical redistribution, cultural revolution, and creeping authoritarianism masked as “equity.”

If this is the future of urban Democratic leadership, expect more lawlessness, more economic collapse, and more middle-class families fleeing to states that still believe in freedom, security, and personal responsibility.

Share this article or subscribe to our newsletter for updates with someone who still thinks New York City can be saved.