Political Wire

  • Front Page
  • Members
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
  • Trending
  • Resources
    • Politics Extra
    • Political Job Hunt
    • Political Dictionary
    • Electoral Vote Map
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / 2025 Campaign / Why Zohran Mamdani Won
Members should sign in for the full experience.

Why Zohran Mamdani Won

June 25, 2025 at 12:09 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “He distinguished himself from a field of 10 rivals by offering an unapologetically progressive economic platform that was as memorable as it was ambitious. He proposed making city buses free, offering free child care and freezing the rent on rent-stabilized apartments — all financed by a large tax hike on the city’s wealthiest residents.”

“But his success also owed much to his exuberant style, demonstrative love for New York and mastery of social media that seemed to embody the kind of generational change many Democrats say they are hungry for. He filmed himself running into the icy waters of Coney Island in January and speaking with voters in the Bronx who swung to Mr. Trump last fall.”

“It was a stark contrast to Mr. Cuomo’s joyless campaign, which featured heavily staged events and a candidate who repeatedly warned voters that the city was in deep trouble that only he could fix.”

Washington Post: “Mamdani prevailed by focusing incessantly on the affordability challenges faced by New York residents, pledging to ease the cost of living by providing free child care, freezing rent and making city buses free. In a city home to the world’s largest population of billionaires, he pledged to fund his ideas by raising taxes on the wealthy.”

“Seeking to become the first Muslim mayor of a city with the world’s largest Jewish population outside of Israel, he did not shy away from criticizing the Israeli government for its handling of the war in Gaza.”

FavoriteLoadingSave to Favorites
  • Bluesky
  • X
  • Threads
  • Facebook
  • Email

Filed Under: 2025 Campaign


You're reading the free version of Political Wire

Upgrade to a paid membership to unlock full access. The process is quick and easy. You can even use Apple Pay.

Upgrade Now

  • ✔ Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, a trending news page, a private podcast, no advertising and more!
  • ✔ If you're already a member, log in for the full experience.



Recent Posts

Kamala Harris Won’t Run for Governor

July 30, 2025 at 3:06 pm EDT

“Kamala Harris will not run governor of California next year, she announced Wednesday, leaving the door open to another White House bid in 2028 as the former vice president considers…

White House Says Storm Over Epstein Has Calmed

July 30, 2025 at 3:00 pm EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 9:18 am EDT

“Three weeks ago, White House officials were battling a frenzy from President Donald Trump’s supporters over the Jeffrey Epstein case. But the flurry of criticisms from within the ‘Make America…

The Quickest Route to a Plum Judicial Appointment

July 30, 2025 at 2:55 pm EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 9:20 am EDT

Quinta Jurecic: “Emil Bove has demonstrated that total sycophancy to the president can be a fantastic career move.” Save to Favorites

Bonus Quote of the Day

July 30, 2025 at 2:50 pm EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 9:50 am EDT

“The genius of Trump is that he has internalized social media and how it works. He knows that saying something is no different than doing something, that it’s just one…

A Drug You’ve Never Heard of Is Killing Hundreds

July 30, 2025 at 2:30 pm EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 10:15 am EDT

“Fentanyl fueled the worst drug crisis the West has ever seen. Now, an even more dangerous drug is wreaking havoc faster than authorities can keep up,” the Wall Street Journal…

Trump’s Poll Numbers on Immigration Slide

July 30, 2025 at 2:00 pm EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 9:18 am EDT

“President Donald Trump started his second term with one huge difference compared with his first term: Polls regularly showed majorities of Americans approving of his handling of immigration. In fact,…

Quote of the Day

July 30, 2025 at 1:55 pm EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 9:32 am EDT

“I am humbled and grateful by the massive statewide support that I have to run for governor, and if I wanted to run we all know I would win. It’s…

Trump Keeps Fueling Epstein Story

July 30, 2025 at 1:00 pm EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 10:12 am EDT

“President Trump wants to move on from his administration’s fiasco over the Jeffrey Epstein files, but he keeps hampering that effort by opening his mouth,” CNN reports. “The most recent…

The Media Capitulation Index

July 30, 2025 at 12:55 pm EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 12:59 pm EDT

The Free Press offers an index that rates the independence of each of the media giants and analyzes their ability to defend democracy. Margaret Sullivan: “Thirty five of the largest…

Tariffs for Everyone

July 30, 2025 at 12:45 pm EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 10:27 am EDT

Council on Foreign Relations: “President Donald Trump has torn up the WTO’s rule book and unilaterally raised tariffs on almost everyone.” Save to Favorites

U.S. Trade Deal Stirs E.U. Soul-Searching Over Lost Clout

July 30, 2025 at 12:30 pm EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 10:25 am EDT

“As European Union leaders work through the consequences of their new trading arrangement with the US, they are confronting the bitter reality of just how far they have fallen,” Bloomberg…

No One Is Defying Trump Like Brazil’s President

July 30, 2025 at 12:11 pm EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 12:11 pm EDT

New York Times: “Faced with threats of 50 percent tariffs and demands to end a criminal case, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he wouldn’t take orders from President…

A Note to Readers

July 30, 2025 at 11:47 am EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 12:05 pm EDT

Save to Favorites

Texas Republicans Unveil Their New Map

July 30, 2025 at 11:33 am EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 11:34 am EDT

“Texas GOP lawmakers released their first draft of the state’s new congressional map Wednesday, proposing revamped district lines that attempt to flip five Democratic seats in next year’s midterm elections,”…

Grassley Says He’s ‘Offended’ By Trump’s Pressure

July 30, 2025 at 11:21 am EDT

“Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley said Wednesday morning he was ‘offended’ by President Donald Trump’s attempts to pressure him to ram through more nominees coming before his panel without deference…

Danny Davis Calls it Quits

July 30, 2025 at 11:19 am EDT

Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) “is expected to announce Thursday he won’t run for reelection in 2026,” Politico reports. “Davis — at 83, one of the oldest members of Congress —…

Pete Hegseth Looks for an Exit

July 30, 2025 at 11:03 am EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 11:08 am EDT

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has privately floated the idea of running for political office in Tennessee next year, raising eyebrows inside the Pentagon and beyond. Such a move would require…

Elissa Slotkin Open to Cutting Offensive Weapons to Israel

July 30, 2025 at 11:00 am EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 11:06 am EDT

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) indicated in an interview that she’s open to considering cutting off offensive weapons sales to Israel, Jewish Insider reports. Save to Favorites

Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts Include Limited Testimony

July 30, 2025 at 10:33 am EDT

“The grand jury transcripts the Justice Department is seeking to make public from its investigation of disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell include testimony…

Arab World Tells Hamas to Lay Down Arms

July 30, 2025 at 10:20 am EDTJuly 30, 2025 at 10:24 am EDT

The Telegraph: “Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for the Palestinian terror group to disband on Tuesday, the first time they have done so.” “They joined 14 other countries, including…

« Trump Says U.S. Will Hold Talks With Iran Next Week
Baby Gaetz »

Get Smarter About Politics

Members get exclusive analysis, a trending news page, the Trial Balloon podcast, bonus newsletters and no advertising. Learn more.

Subscribe

Your Account

Sign in

Latest for Members

  • Pete Hegseth Looks for an Exit
  • Some Early Thoughts on the Midterm Elections
  • Why Is Trump Struggling in the Polls?
  • The Quiet War on Trump’s Enemies
  • We Don’t Really Know the Battlegrounds Yet

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.

Copyright © 2025 · Goddard Media LLC | Privacy Policy | Corrections Policy

Political Wire ® is a registered trademark of Goddard Media LLC