In the aftermath of Tuesday's elections, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a stark message to the Democratic Party: the radicals have triumphed, and the party's survival hinges on its willingness to acquiesce to their demands.
The congresswoman's comments were in reference to the victory of Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected mayor of New York City, who defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a Democrat-on-Democrat contest. As reported by the Western Journal, the conservative faction reluctantly supported Cuomo, viewing him as a lesser evil compared to the unabashedly radical Mamdani.
Mamdani's victory, though less impressive in terms of margin, was arguably the most alarming outcome of the major off-year races. The New York City mayoral race was already a lost cause for conservatives, with the GOP failing to field a candidate with greater electability than activist and local conservative figure Curtis Sliwa. However, Mamdani's rapid rise to prominence within his party signals a disturbing shift towards radical leftism and identity politics.
Ocasio-Cortez, in a post-election interview on CNN, emphasized the importance of this shift. Despite the lack of a significant conservative threat to either Mamdani or Cuomo, she praised Mamdani's campaign for its ability to overcome both "a Republican and the old guard" of the party. "He was fighting a war on two fronts and not just one," she stated.
The congresswoman further warned that those who advocate for party unity only when it suits them are now on notice. "And I think it also puts folks on notice that we have a future to plan for, we have a future to fight for, and we're either going to do that together, or you're going to be left behind," she said, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mail.
This declaration should have sent a chill through the Democratic National Committee, as it essentially commits the party to the same brand of radicalism that contributed to their loss in the 2024 election. Mamdani's campaign was a hodgepodge of ideas borrowed from the Summer of Floyd, repackaged for those who continued to signal their virtue long after the trend had passed.
His agenda included defunding the police, promoting privilege-checks, and endorsing knee-jerk LGBT ideology. He also proposed taxing those who could afford to leave the city to fund his ambitious plans. This is the same agenda that led to the rapid decline of goodwill towards former President Joe Biden's administration and the Democratic Congress by the end of 2021. By 2024, the situation had deteriorated to the point where Donald Trump not only won the electoral vote but also the popular vote.
The reason for the off-year victories is straightforward: Democrats treated it like a rerun of the presidential election, while Republicans were largely indifferent. In hindsight, the GOP should have shown more concern, as the size of the victories has given a disorganized and financially troubled Democratic Party a boost it did not deserve. However, the momentum, both in terms of fundraising and agenda, remains with the GOP.
Yet, Ocasio-Cortez insists that "the Democratic Party cannot last much longer by denying the future" - a future she envisions with herself and Zohran Mamdani at the helm. The "old guard" has managed to hold on precisely because they understand that they cannot win nationally and will lose a significant portion of their base if they embrace radicals.
While the likes of Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Dick Durbin, and Jim Clyburn know how to win on a national scale, Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani have proven their ability to win locally. However, the Democratic Party's commitment to revolutionary social change may eventually lead to its downfall.
The 2025 off-year elections could mark a turning point. Winning small battles by large margins will be meaningless if it results in losing the war.
The Western Journal offers advertising opportunities to reach millions of highly engaged readers, supporting our work in the process.
A login link has been sent to your email. Simply click this link to login. You will not need your password. If you don't see the email immediately, please check your spam and mark it as not spam. If you entered an incorrect email, restart your login.
Login