D.D. Guttenplan

Special Correspondent

@ddguttenplan

D.D. Guttenplan is a special correspondent for The Nation and the former host of The Nation Podcast. He served as editor of the magazine from 2019 to 2025 and, prior to that, as an editor at large and London correspondent. His books include American Radical: The Life and Times of I.F. Stone, The Nation: A Biography, and The Next Republic: The Rise of a New Radical Majority.

Mamdani Launches His First Salvos in New York’s Fiscal Battle

Mamdani Launches His First Salvos in New York’s Fiscal Battle Mamdani Launches His First Salvos in New York’s Fiscal Battle

The mayor, the governor, and the members of the city’s big-ticket tax base are all squaring off over prospective tax increases and service cuts.

Feb 19, 2026 / D.D. Guttenplan

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch at a January news conference.

The Divisions Mamdani Commands Are About to Be Battle-Tested The Divisions Mamdani Commands Are About to Be Battle-Tested

The New York mayor draws flack from the Catholic press, holds his own for now with the NYPD, and will have to twist arms in Albany.

Feb 12, 2026 / D.D. Guttenplan

Mamdani Touts a Stunning View of the City, but Struggles to Clear the Sidewalks

Mamdani Touts a Stunning View of the City, but Struggles to Clear the Sidewalks Mamdani Touts a Stunning View of the City, but Struggles to Clear the Sidewalks

The New York mayor is opening the roof of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building to the public, but has plenty of work ahead to make the city below more affordable and accessible...

Feb 5, 2026 / D.D. Guttenplan

Zohran Mamdani gives a press conference on New York’s preparations for last week's snowstorm.

Mamdani Goes From a Winter Storm to a Fiscal One Mamdani Goes From a Winter Storm to a Fiscal One

The mayor publicizes a $12 billion hole in New York's budget over the next two years—and draws some political battle lines.

Jan 29, 2026 / D.D. Guttenplan

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks before striking nurses at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Young Mayor in a Hurry Young Mayor in a Hurry

Zohran Mamdani has pledged to govern at the same pace New Yorkers live—but city politics are largely designed to thwart that ambition.

Jan 22, 2026 / D.D. Guttenplan

Mayor Zohran Mamdani at a January 13 press conference.

Mamdani Starts Governing by Getting the Imagery Right Mamdani Starts Governing by Getting the Imagery Right

Early signs suggest that the Mamdani era in New York is off to an encouraging start—beginning with the mayor's continued mastery of political spectacle.

Jan 15, 2026 / Column / D.D. Guttenplan

Mayor Zohran Mamdani stands alongside his wife, Rama Duwaji, after concluding his address to the crowd at the 2026 New York City Inauguration outside of City Hall in New York City on January 1, 2026.

“I Will Govern as a Democratic Socialist” “I Will Govern as a Democratic Socialist”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani defies the cold and the calls to move to the center with the promise of a New York that belongs to the people who live in it.

Jan 2, 2026 / D.D. Guttenplan

US investor and philanthropist Alexander Soros, son of Hungarian-US investor and philanthropist George Soros, speaks during a ceremony to accept on behalf of his father the 2025 Civil Rights Prize of the Sinti and Roma, on October 23, 2025, in Berlin, Germany.

Liberal Philanthropy and the Fight for Democracy, With David Callahan  Liberal Philanthropy and the Fight for Democracy, With David Callahan 

On the latest Nation Podcast.

Dec 1, 2025 / Podcast / D.D. Guttenplan and David Callahan

Angelo Herndon.

The Story of One of the Most Important Free Speech Cases of All Time The Story of One of the Most Important Free Speech Cases of All Time

Randall Kennedy talks to The Nation Podcast about the Angelo Herndon case.

Nov 24, 2025 / Podcast / D.D. Guttenplan and Randall Kennedy

New Yorkers celebrate as NY1 projects Zohran Mamdani the winner in the mayoral election, at the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden on November 4, 2025 in the Astoria neighborhood of New York City. The watch party was one of many hosted by the Democratic Socialists of America in support of Mamdani.

Red Dawn Over New York City Red Dawn Over New York City

At a DSA watch party, I got to see history unfold as Zohran Mamdani’s victory was announced.

Nov 5, 2025 / D.D. Guttenplan

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