Zohran Mamdani echoes a forgotten chapter in California

NEW YORK STATE Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s victory in June’s Democratic primary for New York City mayor wasn’t just a political upset — it’s a historic echo.

- MRIDU CHANDRA GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Nearly 70 years ago, in a vast California district spanning Palm Springs to the Mexico border, a naturalized Sikh American named Dalip Singh Saund stunned the political establishment by winning his seat in Congress. Saund’s story offers a striking parallel to Mamdani’s, and both wins serve as powerful reminders that in America, elections are not owned by the powerful. They're earned by the people.

Back in 1956, Saund campaigned not only against political opponents, but against deeply embedded beliefs about who could and could not represent America. During the primaries, his Democratic opponent Carl Kegley branded him a “Hindu Communist” (a Cold War slur akin to the “Islamic extremist” label Muslims face today) and challenged Saund’s eligibility in court. In the general election, Saund faced formidable Republican Jackie Cochran Odlum — a record-breaking aviator, wealthy businesswoman and ally of President Eisenhower. With an enormous budget and an army of campaign staffers, she staged celebrity-studded rallies at her private ranch in Indio.

When Cochran Odlum left the district for a spell to serve in the Air Force Reserve, Saund and his grassroots team — his wife, children, and a few volunteers — registered more than 6,500 new voters in a district where 110,000 would cast their votes. The team crisscrossed the 11,000-square-mile district to hang hand-painted signs and host modest barbecues, campaigning with tireless optimism to earn every vote.