Or, to put it another way: Stop helping Republicans and back people like Zohran Mamdani. Now!
Zohran Mamdani takes photos with supporters during a press conference at the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council building on July 02, 2025, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images)
What’s the Democratic establishment been up to lately? Mostly flailing around.
For instance, we recently learned that the Democratic National Committee plans to examine what went wrong in the 2024 election—with the small caveat that this autopsy won’t include any focus on the decisions of the Biden/Harris campaign. Sounds about right.
Just the other day, a survey found the Democratic Party brand at historic lows, with 63 percent of voters admitting to an unfavorable view of the party. And everywhere you look, there’s another piece of advice: Dems should curse more! Maybe ditch the suits? How about getting on one of those podcasts the vertical video kids are always talking about? Not to worry, because party stalwarts are spending $20 million on focus groups to study why Democrats are hemorrhaging support from young male voters.
Luckily, an answer to these challenges is staring the party in the face right here in New York City—in the form of a young man who just gave Democrats yet another blueprint for how to excite new voters and win back the working class.
So how are status quo Democrats reacting to Zohran Mamdani’s historic mayoral candidacy? By falling over themselves to shit on him.
Make it make sense!
Should Dems start dropping more F-bombs in T-shirts? Maybe—I certainly wouldn’t mind—but we won’t win on style alone. We win on substance. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, didn’t curse and delivered nothing short of a political earthquake, buttoned up in a suit and tie. He campaigned on a crisp, clear, disciplined, and exciting message that met voters where they were—centered on affordability and bringing down the crazy cost of living for working-class New Yorkers. His mantra was fun, unapologetic, and sincere.
Zohran used one of the most potent weapons Democrats have: the power of hope. For New York City Democrats headed to the polls for the first time since Trump gained ground here last November, Zohran’s campaign gave voters something to believe in again.
I’ve been saying it. While it’s clear that Trump Republicans care more about working voters into a lather over imaginary culture wars than helping the hardworking Americans they’ve sworn to serve, Democrats still need to do more than say, “Hey, at least we’re not them!”—because, let’s be honest: The Republican Party is doing something right, since working-class voters continue looking their way.
A big part of the problem is that when the future of our democracy—and therefore our country—is on the line, we Dems waste time placating the people who hate us instead of focusing on gaining new voters and energizing our base. Spewing mealy-mouthed bullshit about “commonsense policies” will not earn us votes. Republicans aren’t going to vote for Democrats because they’re on TV going after other Democrats. We are neck-deep in the Yankees v. Red Sox era of political tribalism. MAGA Republicans aren’t voting for Democrats in swing districts. Period. It’s time to move on.
We Dems need to find our killer instinct, and fast. The moment Republicans are in power, they slit our throats on behalf of their billionaire friends. When we’re in power, instead of moaning and groaning about optics and decorum, we need to slit throats on behalf of working people. It’s OK to be ruthless when you’re fighting for what’s right.
With the midterm elections now firmly upon us, the question is whether Democratic candidates will do more than merely occupy ballot lines as mild alternatives to the red-hot crisis that is Donald Trump.
As Trump spends over $1 billion a day on a globally destabilizing war on Iran and admits that he doesn’t “think about Americans’ financial situation,” millions across the country are struggling with the surging costs of essentials. Democrats must seize this moment and advance bold, small-“d” populist ideas—not settle for cynical caution that once again snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.
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Voters want honest brawlers. They want happy warriors. And we win by demonstrably improving the lives of everyday working people. If we do that, we can’t lose.
So when Democrats go out of their way to caricaturize Zohran’s proposals as radical, they are only helping Republicans. Big, bold proposals aimed at making life tangibly better for working people? That’s not radical. Rather, it should be the singular focus of our party.
Democrats across the country should be synchronized in relentlessly reminding voters that Trump Republicans are the ones doing radical shit by making cruel cuts to our social safety net, stripping millions of Americans of their health insurance and food assistance, all to fund more tax breaks for billionaires.
We should remind voters every single day that Trump sold them a bill of goods once again, running hard on fake populism. “When I win,” Trump said at the time, “I will immediately bring prices down, starting on day one.” But everything Trump has done thus far has only made life worse for working people and easier for his rich friends. I’m still waiting for the cheaper groceries we were promised.
So instead of spending millions on focus groups to better understand white men or whatever we’re doing, why not talk to Democrats who have won elections in purple districts by outperforming the top of the ticket by double digits? Hell, I’ll do it for free, and you can donate that $20 million focus-group money to a food pantry instead.
Look, the issue here is simple: Trump is full of shit. As predicted, his empty populism on the campaign trail has become plutocracy now that he’s back in the White House. Democrats should focus on effectively and creatively telling that story every goddamn day from now until the midterms and spend less time attacking each other.
The definition of insanity is running the same campaigns over and over and expecting different results. Zohran Mamdani gave Democrats a blueprint for how to rebuild our party. If we want to win, maybe we should follow it.
Justin BrannanJustin Brannan is a New York City Council member who represents southern Brooklyn and serves as chair of the Finance Committee. Most recently, Brannan was the Working Families Party candidate for New York City comptroller.