The Washington Examiner’s Byron York said the rise of Democratic candidates like New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is partly due to the “energy” demonstrated by politicians like him.
Mamdani’s campaign sparked national attention when he won the Democratic Party’s primary as a socialist in his 30s. Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh, a Democratic mayoral candidate for Minneapolis, is having his campaign compared to Mamdani’s, as both are focusing on the cost of living and opposing President Donald Trump’s deportation efforts.
York, the Washington Examiner’s chief political correspondent, said part of the reason Mamdani and other similar candidates are on the rise is due to how “messed up” the Democratic Party is.
“That leads to greater attention, where there is more energy in the party, which is on the leftist fringes. We saw AOC and Bernie Sanders getting big crowds, give speeches around the country. Now we’re seeing Mamdani,” York said on Fox News’s The Ingraham Angle Wednesday.
“The fringes are attracting attention right now. The big headache for Democrats comes when big general elections come and they can’t win with those candidates,” York said.
York also said Mamdani’s popularity among voters is likely due to the “appeal of socialism” among younger people, citing a poll in which “62%” of respondents ages 18-29 view socialism favorably. York said the results of this poll are not “a big mystery” since candidates are promising “free stuff” in “a very expensive world.”
WHO IS OMAR FATEH? MINNEAPOLIS MAYORAL CANDIDATE DRAWS MAMDANI COMPARISONS
York said on Monday that Mamdani is likely to win if his opponents — Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and independent candidates Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Eric Adams — all remain in the race. He also said a loss by Mamdani could demonstrate “the small size” of the socialist movement in the Democratic Party.
Meanwhile, former Democratic congressman for Minnesota Dean Phillips cautioned his party from embracing socialist candidates last week, saying this could harm the party’s chances in the 2026 midterm elections. He said the best way for his party to win would be to elevate “normal” candidates.