Zohran Mamdani wins: Who are the Democratic Socialists of America? (As-salaam-u-Alaykum)
As-salaam-u-Alaykum - Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York has been seen by many as a wake-up call for a Democratic Party that’s been losing touch with everyday people.
Zohran Mamdani, 34, was elected the 111th mayor of New York City. The progressive state assemblyman pledged to make the city more affordable for working families and to push back against national policies he sees as harmful to ordinary people.
Mamdani ran with the Democratic Party’s nomination and support from the Working Families movement. He’s been a member of the Democratic Socialists of America since 2017 and calls himself a democratic socialist. With this win he becomes the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first mayor of South Asian heritage, and the first born in an African country (Uganda). He’ll also be the youngest NYC mayor in over a century when he takes office on January 1.
“Tonight, against all odds, we made it happen,” the mayor-elect told supporters. “New York, you’ve delivered a mandate for change, for a new politics, and for a city we can actually afford.”
His rise highlights arguments from left-leaning Democrats who say more progressive policies are needed to win back voters who’ve drifted away. So what do the Democratic Socialists of America stand for?
The DSA is the biggest socialist organization in the US, with nearly 100,000 members. It aims to democratise economic life so that people, not profit, shape major economic decisions. Members push for things like universal healthcare, affordable housing, stronger unions and bold climate action through public investment.
The DSA is organised as a decentralised grassroots network made up of many local chapters that do everything from labour organising to mutual aid projects. Its modern form dates to 1982 and it grew in visibility during Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign, which energised many young people frustrated by inequality.
Their ideas often sound similar to social welfare systems common in parts of Europe - public healthcare, good public education and more social protections. In the US context these policies can feel radical, but in many countries they’re part of normal public life.
Politically, the DSA typically endorses progressive candidates who share its values, working both inside elections and through grassroots action to change institutions.
Bernie Sanders, though not formally a DSA member and officially an independent, has long been a visible figure for democratic socialist ideas in the US. His campaigns helped popularise calls for free universal healthcare and debt-free college, and he remains a symbolic reference point for many on the left.
Freshman members of Congress like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib helped bring DSA-style politics into the mainstream. Their electoral wins showed socialist ideas were no longer purely fringe in US politics. They’re part of a broader group of progressive lawmakers pushing for more economic fairness.
Others, like Greg Casar from Texas, show the tensions that come with being both an activist and an elected official - balancing progressive goals with practical political compromises.
Even within the traditional Democratic leadership there’s pushback against socialism as a label, but the recent electoral successes of candidates running on more left-leaning platforms suggest the conversation in the US is changing.
Mamdani’s platform - rent freezes, fare-free buses, higher taxes on the wealthy - sits at the ambitious end of DSA-style policies and is aimed squarely at New York’s affordability crisis. Median rents in the city are about $3,400 a month, while median monthly household income is roughly $6,640, so housing and costs are central concerns for many families.
Other rising figures tied to the same grassroots wing include Sarahana Shrestha, a climate advocate born in Nepal who won a New York State Assembly seat in 2022 after organising at the local level.
Whether you agree or disagree with their proposals, the increasing visibility of democratic socialists in US politics is shifting debates about how to make life more affordable and fair for ordinary people. May Allah guide communities to solutions that bring justice and wellbeing for all.
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