EXCLUSIVE — National Republicans are pushing their state counterparts to hammer Democrats heavily on the likely victory of Zohran Mamdani in New York City‘s mayoral race, encouraging new messaging tactics by calling him the “kiss of death” for the Democratic Party.
The Republican National Committee is circulating a memo, shared first with the Washington Examiner, encouraging state Republicans to tie Democratic candidates to the socialist mayoral candidate, noting that many progressive candidates are influenced by the “Mamdani effect” to run for office in local, state, and national races.
“Just as Mamdani has picked up support from New York Democrats and national Democratic leadership, expect these down-ballot Socialist Democrats to pick up support from their base,” the memo says. “Democratic voters’ frustration with the party is near all-time highs, and the Left’s base wants outsider candidates, many of whom are much further to the Left than the Democrat establishment.”
But the memo says “socialist extremists” won’t fare well in a general election in toss-up races in the 2026 midterm elections. The memo says in battleground House districts, Mamdani has a 25% favorability rating but 81% name recognition.
“Republicans have already begun to use him as a socialist taint on the Democrat Party, sending down-ballot Democrats into a tizzy — proof that socialist policies remain toxic for the Democrat brand in general elections,” the memo says.
“We expect the Mamdani Effect to ultimately be the kiss of death in a general election, and we look forward to shining a spotlight on their out-of-touch positions next year,” the memo adds.
The “kiss of death” messaging is one of the phrases national Republicans are pushing lawmakers to introduce, particularly as the GOP tries to maintain its razor-thin majority in the House.
The RNC is using this memo to instruct Republicans on how to connect Mamdani to every single toss-up race in the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats are defending 38 competitive seats compared to Republicans defending 31, according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
“Zohran Mamdani is the Democrats’ new leader and the reason socialists are set to be Democrats’ nominees in battleground races,” RNC spokeswoman Delanie Bomar told the Washington Examiner. “Republicans will ensure the Mamdani Effect is a kiss of death for Democrats in House and Senate races.”
The memo comes a few days after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) offered a lukewarm endorsement of Mamdani, saying he would support the “entire citywide Democratic ticket” while also expressing that he and Mamdani have “areas of principled disagreement.”
While weighing an endorsement, Jeffries was caught in the crosshairs between his progressive members of his caucus, who threw their support behind Mamdani wholeheartedly, and more centrist lawmakers, who offered firm rebukes of the nominee for his socialist views.
Republicans leapt on the endorsement with glee. The National Republican Congressional Committee moved quickly after Jeffries’s endorsement and launched a paid ad campaign targeting New York and New Jersey Democrats.
After Jeffries’s endorsement, the RNC thanked Jeffries for his “in-kind contribution” in a tongue-in-cheek statement.
HAKEEM JEFFRIES ENDORSES ZOHRAN MAMDANI AFTER MONTHS OF PRESSURE
“He has made our lives easier by directly connecting every vulnerable Democrat to socialist Mamdani’s out-of-touch policies,” Bomar said.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Mamdani and the DNC for comment.