MVP Partners Support Likely Winner in NYC Mayoral Primary – and Show a Path Forward

Last night, thanks in part to the efforts of several local MVP partner organizations, New York City experienced a seismic shift in its political landscape — a shift that could influence the trajectory of the Democratic Party in the crucial months and years ahead.

In a political plot twist very few might have predicted just months ago, the self-identifying democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani now has a commanding lead in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, after running on a bold platform of affordability, livability, community safety, and raising taxes on corporations and the wealthiest 1%.

Although the city will not complete its ranked-choice voting tabulation and announce official election results until Tuesday, July 1, Mamdani held such a substantial lead among first-choice votes over his second-place opponent, former Governor Andrew Cuomo (43.5% vs. 36.4% of first-choice votes, with 93% of results in), that Governor Cuomo conceded on Election Night.

For perhaps obvious reasons, we at MVP believe transforming the Democratic Party from the ground up is one of the core imperatives we (collectively as a center-left and progressive coalition) need to tackle in the time ahead. This likely victory is a concrete example of MVP + our local partners’ efforts to do so by supporting bold, visionary, grassroots leadership — and by helping to create the conditions for this leadership to flourish within the Party.

What Part Did MVP’s Local Partners Play?

Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), strategically leveraging New York City’s ranked-choice voting system, announced a dual endorsement of Mamdani and his opponent-turned-ally, fellow candidate and City Comptroller, Brad Lander. 

Crucially, JFREJ and its electoral arm, The Jewish Vote, centered their work around creating solidarity and kinship between Jewish and Muslim New Yorkers — a strategy reinforced by Mamdani and Lander (see their extended joint interview with Stephen Colbert).

Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) – Canvassing for NYC Mayoral Primary

Leveraging and engaging their well-organized base of 6,000+ members, JFREJ was able to mobilize 200 volunteers to knock 4,000 doors and make 35,000 phone calls from the Bronx to Brooklyn, urging Jewish voters to support Mamdani and Lander (as 1st- and 2nd-choice interchangeably) — and, importantly, to not rank former Governor Cuomo (who resigned in 2021 following an investigation of sexual harassment claims by multiple women). Additionally, they created a detailed voter guide that was viewed over 50,000 times.

The New York Working Families Party (NY WFP) endorsed Mamdani as their recommended first-choice vote as part of their five-candidate ranked ballot, joining JFREJ in urging members not to rank Gov. Cuomo.

As part of their field operation, they:

• Turned out close to 1,000 volunteers and members of labor and community organizations.
• Held 100+ canvases, events, and phone banks, including a Get Out the Vote rally in Brooklyn that drew hundreds of volunteers.
• Worked with dozens of WFP elected champions across the city, state, and federal governments to support their slate of endorsed candidates.
• Worked to organize allied organizations to strategically leverage the power of ranked-choice voting.
• Collaborated with NYC Councilmember Chi Ossé on a series of seven videos that generated more than three million views across Instagram and TikTok.

In addition, WFP’s national PAC ran a program that included a viral video featuring Cynthia Nixon that reached a million organic views across platforms; a voter guide mailed to 250,000 households; and 300,000 text messages endorsing the WFP slate validated by their local elected leaders; a field program in Latiné communities in partnership with Make the Road Action, and a phonebank to Muslim voters in partnership with Emgage Action.

Make the Road Action New York – Canvassing for NYC Mayoral Primary

Make the Road Action (MRA) endorsed a ranked slate that included City Comptroller Lander as #1, as well as Mamdani and NYC City Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams. When Mamdani and Lander cross-endorsed each other at the start of the early-voting period, MRA applauded it, saying: “This united front allows New Yorkers to elect a Mayor who truly cares.”

In partnership with Working Families Party, they engaged thousands of working-class, immigrant, Black, and Latiné voters in key neighborhoods by door, phone, and digital ads. In all, they knocked on 6,000 doors, had 3,360 conversations with voters, and attempted to reach over 12,700 people.

Theo Oshiro, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road Action, put out this statement:

“Make the Road Action members worked tirelessly to educate voters about ranked choice voting and our endorsed candidates who truly champion working-class and immigrant communities, who care deeply about tenants, workers, and the future of our city. We stood against billionaires and real estate interests who tried to hijack our primary election and harm our neighborhoods. 

“…Our people showed up in numbers, hitting the streets despite rain and extreme heat, ready for a new vision for New York City. We congratulate our endorsed candidate, Zohran Kwame Mamdani, and will continue to pound the streets in the general election to ensure he is elected the next Mayor of the City of New York.”

Citizen Action of New York also endorsed Mamdani. Co-Executive Directors, Carolyn Martinez-Class and Rebecca Garrard, put out this statement:

“Zohran Mamdani’s win is more than a political victory —it’s proof that when we organize, we can defeat even the most entrenched forces of the political machine. (…) He laid out a bold vision for a New York City that is affordable and affords every New Yorker dignity. This election was a people-powered rejection of everything Andrew Cuomo and the Democratic establishment represents: top-down politics, backroom deals, and policies that prioritize billionaires over working families.”

Why Does This Story Matter?

There are three big reasons Zohran Mamdani’s likely victory could be significant — not just to New Yorkers but to the big-tent Democratic and progressive coalition nationwide. This milestone offers the possibility for:

1. Material improvements for millions of people;
2. A municipal model for blocking the Trump agenda; and,
3. Perhaps most importantly: A blueprint for rejuvenating the Democratic Party.

Reason #1: Material Improvements for Millions of People

With over 8.4 million people, New York City is by far the most populous city in the country; in fact, it is more populous than 38 US states.

Simply put, if Mamdani is elected in November and able to enact even a portion of his expansive agenda, it will deliver tangible improvements in the lives of millions of people through policy plans for affordable housing, community safety and violence prevention, free public buses, no-cost childcare, and more.

Reason #2: A Municipal Model for Blocking the Trump Agenda

Thanks to the many budgetary and policy decisions made at the municipal level, city governments are at the forefront of efforts to defend against the threats posed by the Trump administration.

If Mamdani is elected and able to implement his plan to “Trump-proof NYC”, it would:

• End cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
• Increase funding for immigration legal services.
• Make NYC an LGBTQ+ Sanctuary City.
• Protect New Yorkers against federal cuts to vital social services.

Reason #3: A Blueprint for Rejuvenating the Democratic Party

Beyond the direct impacts of a Mamdani mayoralty, his candidacy — as well as MVP partners’ voter-organizing efforts to support him — offer a path forward for how Democrats and progressives can rehabilitate the Party’s brand, renew its leadership bench, and rejuvenate its electoral viability.

Several worthwhile pieces have already been published — see The.Ink, The Guardian, POLITICO, and even Tangle, whose centrist author disagrees with many of Mamdani’s proposals but adeptly addresses several common concerns about him — but here are a few of our key observations at MVP:

1. Unifying positive vision: Rather than simply running as “not as bad as Cuomo,” Mamdani conveyed a compelling platform grounded in a coherent worldview and narrative: Government can make life easier, safer, and more affordable for all.
2. Economic populism at the center: Rather than putting forth policy proposals that tinker around the edges, Mamdani ran on a clear and ambitious economic platform grounded in a simple vision: A city New Yorkers can afford.
3. Alignment with broad-based social movements: In putting forth a resonant vision, Mamdani’s candidacy created a natural alignment with locally-rooted organizations that represent multiracial working-class constituencies, and organize and advocate for those constituencies year-round. In turn, these groups were highly motivated to mobilize in full-throated support of his candidacy.
4. Authentic fighter vs. establishment politician: In an era in which voters’ trust of politicians and institutions is near an all-time low, Mamdani presented consistently as an authentic human being who, first and foremost, is committed to fighting for working-class New Yorkers. Memorably, when Stephen Colbert asked about “the elephant in the room” – concerns about his criticisms of Netanyahu’s far-right Israeli government – he responded in a way that affirmed his proactive support for the NYC Jewish community and a sense of shared humanity for all involved. He then shared: “I remember the words of Mayor Koch, who said, ‘If you agree with me on 9 out of 12 issues, vote for me. 12 out of 12, see a psychiatrist.”
5. Not throwing any community under the bus: As Parker Molloy wrote (and quoted in The Ink): “What Mamdani understood — and what national Democrats seem incapable of grasping — is that you don’t have to choose between economic populism and protecting vulnerable people. In fact, they’re the same fight. When Mamdani talked about trans rights, he didn’t treat them as some boutique cultural issue. He wove them into his broader message about affordability and economic justice.” 

Closing: No “Off Years”

As MVP’s New York partners turn their attention to the November General Election, here is the main point we want to leave donors and funders with: There is no such thing as an “off year.” 

The decisions we make — to sustain the year-round work of local organizing, or to let the funding try up until a few months before an even-year election — are hugely consequential. 

If we follow the “boom-and-bust” funding model, we are leaving power on the table. If, on the other hand, we commit to sustained, multi-year funding, we all will reap the benefits — in odd-numbered years and even-numbered years alike.