Nivedita Majumdar
That’s a really important question, because it can never be just about the rise of one strong figure — no matter how exciting that may be. To make real progress on left-wing priorities, we need to build a political culture rooted in organized working-class power, grounded in unions and community organizations. When candidates are embedded in that kind of culture, they understand that their political future is tied to the power of those unions and organizations.
To some extent, we’re already seeing this play out with Mamdani’s candidacy. Contrary to what the New York Times and other mainstream media might suggest, he didn’t come out of nowhere. His emergence can be traced back to an energized Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in the wake of Bernie Sanders’s first presidential run. While Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez remains the most well-known example of DSA’s electoral success, the organization also helped elect Mamdani and seven others to the New York State legislature.
In a detailed piece on NYC-DSA’s political and electoral work, Michael Thomas Carter rightly observes, “Over the past nine years, NYC-DSA has built a field organizing machine that is arguably the strongest electoral operation in municipal politics nationwide. Through wins and losses in local, state, and federal elections, NYC-DSA has learned strategic lessons, developed significant logistical capacity, created a volunteer base for canvassing and outreach, and nurtured a cadre of experienced electoral campaign workers who work on endorsed campaigns.”
It’s telling that in his application for DSA’s endorsement, Mamdani stated he would not run without the organization’s backing. While his powerful campaign focused on affordability and his personal charisma are undeniably important, the campaign could not have mobilized some sixty thousand…
Auteur: Nivedita Majumdar
