It would be uncontroversial to say that the current Democratic Party is rudderless. After its defeat in the 2024 election, the party’s approval ratings have plummeted to record lows despite President Trump’s high unpopularity.
The party’s leadership isn’t faring much better, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer underwater among independents and Democrats alike and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries ‘92 unpopular. Voters blame them for backing down on seemingly every fight with Trump, like when Schumer surrendered in the government shutdown battle in March or when Jeffries responded to Trump’s deployment of federal troops in Washington, D.C. by praising a “strongly worded letter” sent by the city’s attorney general.
Democrats have been trapped in a cycle of hopelessness, with their leaders unable or unwilling to curb the maligned actions of the Trump administration, feeling far away from an election that could turn the tide.
That was until June 24 of this year, when New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani shocked the political world by winning the 2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary. To say his campaign was a long shot would be an understatement. Mamdani’s biggest opponent, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was universally known among voters and had both large monetary support and a set of prominent endorsements from across Congress and the New York State Legislature.
How exactly did Mamdani overcome the odds as an underdog? The main reason was his relentless focus on the cost of living, especially since one of the largest shortcomings of the Democrats’ 2024 efforts was ignoring this issue. Mamdani’s proposed policies, including rent freezes, free public transit and city-run grocery stores, strongly resonated with those struggling to make ends meet.
On the other hand, Cuomo ran an almost exclusively negative campaign, focusing on Mamdani’s inexperience instead of his own vision for the city. This made Cuomo appear like a boring career politician, interested in the job only for himself, with no interest in fixing the city’s problems. Additionally, one of the only political issues his campaign focused on — his support for Israel’s war against Gaza — was completely out of sync with the position of mainstream Democratic voters.
Many readers are likely already familiar with Mamdani, perhaps through one of his widely circulated social media ads.
One of the most crucial elements of Mamdani’s strategy is a wholehearted embrace of large and “radical” solutions. Mamdani’s critics call him a “radical” as a seemingly negative term, but the truth is, voters are no longer willing to hear how they need to be patient and reasonable. We saw this crucial error during Kamala Harris’ campaign when she embraced anti-Trump Republicans instead of advocating for transformative progressive policies, making her a candidate who stood for nothing in the eyes of most progressive voters. In my view, the Democratic Party must adopt Mamdani’s modern, forward-thinking strategy.
Amid the government shutdown, voters still slightly prefer Republicans over Democrats on economic issues, despite President Trump’s massive unpopularity regarding the economy. Years of ignoring the crucial problem of living costs have resulted in voters still preferring Republicans even when they fail spectacularly, because their bad solutions are seen as better than Democrats’ zero solutions. There is a range of opinions on Zohran’s cost-of-living solutions, but it’s impossible to argue that his agenda amounts to inaction.
Mamdani’s famous social media ads are aggressively local, showcasing him around the city, engaging with its culture and referencing specific local developments. In an era of gentrification and corporatization, highlighting a local business is the ultimate sign of authenticity. This is especially true in New York City, where small restaurants and bodegas are at the center of everyday culture.
At the same time, his ads are funny and energetic. Too many Democrats, like Cuomo, have embraced the role of the deadpan lecturer. Instead of appearing out in public, they are seen in orchestrated press conferences. These politicians do not appear authentic, convincing or relatable.
That’s not to say that every Democratic politician across the country needs to enact plans similar to Mamdani’s. I would argue the opposite — they need to focus on what makes them and their unique electorate special. In fact, we are already seeing how adapting Mamdani’s strategies can succeed outside of New York City’s distinct electoral environment.
Take, for example, former U.S. Marine, oysterman and U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner. Platner swapped Mamdani’s joy for the anger that many feel toward the current political establishment, an equally authentic and relatable position. His ads feature him shucking oysters on his boat, while railing against the gerontocracy, oligarchy and military aid to Israel.
The result? Overflowing crowds at his speeches and more than an impressive $4 million fundraising total for a previously unknown candidate.
These solutions may seem obvious, but the moderate wing of the Democratic Party has gone in a completely different direction. Instead of addressing the real issues within their party, centrist Democratic pundits and officials, such as Rep. Ritchie Torres, Matthew Yglesias and David Shor, have blamed advocacy groups for the party’s woes, accusing them of prioritizing their own niche agendas over helping the party win elections.
In practice, this means abandoning any issue that might be even a little controversial, such as teaching about the existence of queer people in schools or phasing out gas-powered cars. At a Democratic centrist rally, Rep. Jake Auchincloss had no answer when asked what kind of story centrist Democrats are telling with this strategy.
These centrists discount the idea of creating an authentic politician with a story and a goal for the country, opting instead for blind action. In reality, voters love stories — they’re endearing and they make us like and trust the candidates that beg for our votes and money. Mamdani and Platner understand this and have propelled themselves from political nobodies to national superstars overnight.
In an era of darkness and fear spurred by the Trump administration, candidates like Mamdani have shown us the way forward. They differentiate themselves from the old, inauthentic, focus group-tested politicians who have driven the Democratic Party to stand for nothing.
If Democrats ever want to regain their political power, they must embrace these new champions and their effective campaign methods. The greatest response to Trump’s authoritarianism is their hope, their resolve and their willingness to defend their own beliefs.
Kevin O’Connell is a sophomore majoring in political science.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the Staff Editorial.