New York Attorney General Letitia James criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for “blowing up” the Democratic Party with candidates who aren’t from New York City.
“Some of the candidates that he has supported are individuals who do not understand the politics of New York City, the cultural difference from district to district, who have not been part of the history and the struggle of some of these districts, and are relatively new to the body politic,” James told CNN.
James is referring to Darializa Avila Chevalier, former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, and state Rep. Claire Valdez, who won their primaries Tuesday night. The Mamdani-endorsed candidates defeated Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Andriano Espaillat (D-NY), Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY).
To everyone, New York Democrats Letitia James and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) included, the election parties did not feature the diverse cross-section of New Yorkers socialists parade.
Welcome to the new Democratic Party — an intersectional coalition in name only.
Espaillat is the first formerly undocumented immigrant elected to Congress. And he boasts a voting record of 99 out of 100 from the group “Progressive Punch,” as Washington Examiner columnist Byron York noted. He’s an established lawmaker, which means his district likely reaps generous earmarks in omnibus bills. Similarly, Antonio Reynoso is a local staple. He has a tangible track record, however progressive he may be.
But in the new Democratic Party, Espaillat and Reynoso’s progressivism matters little if any socialist with an “organizer” or “advocacy” background can promise the same intersectional goodie bag.
The socialists are promising that students will see $1.7 trillion in student debt wiped, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s abolition will grant immigrants reprieve, that members of the LGBT community will receive national-level protections, that women’s abortion rights will be fulfilled, and that tenants will rest easy with national rent control.
James’s frustration stems from an epiphany: Espaillat and Reynoso’s ties to New York matter little to the socialist omnicause. New York City’s culture, history, and welfare matters little. After all, members of the Democratic Socialists of America love New York City insofar as they can wield it as a quasi-independent city-state. NYC DSA’s Electoral Working Group says socialists “control these areas.”
And Mamdani-backed candidates’ fervent voter bloc reflects their sentiment. Almost a supermajority of young, college-indoctrinated, high-income residents voted for Valdez, Lander, and Avila Chevalier in their respective districts. Working-class New Yorkers opted for Reynoso and Espaillat instead.
A real “intersectional” coalition meets voters where they are.
Democrats revere Avila Chevalier’s authentic commitment to police and prison abolition. But black New Yorkers want more policing in their communities. Avila Chevalier wants to halt charter school expansion and champion traditional public schools. But working-class families want more charter schools. Americans may have qualms with ICE enforcement tactics, but they understand the value of borders.
ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NEW YORK ‘KINGMAKER’
Socialists such as Mamdani, Avila Chevalier, Valdez, and Lander won’t budge. They can’t — their ideology compels them. So, their intersectional coalition dissipates; their commitments to the downtrodden ring emptier each election cycle.
So, voters become apathetic. Many are leaving New York. Others are joining the Republican Party. Who’s left? The young, white, college-educated, laptop class so gleeful by socialist takeover, they have yet to realize everyone else had skipped the election party.