Prøve GULL - Gratis

Mamdani's surprise win in New York spurs battle for soul of the Democrats

The Observer

|

June 29, 2025

The social-media savvy Zohran Mamdani trounced the former governor Andrew Cuomo in a mayoral primary but the party's establishment fears a shift to the left, writes Charlotte McDonald-Gibson in Washington

- Charlotte McDonald-Gibson

After Kamala Harris's defeat by Donald Trump last November, Democrats have been desperate for a new generation of charismatic politicians able to engage with voters and lead a fightback before next year's midterm elections.

In Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist who surprisingly won last week's New York mayoral primary, they may have found their prototype. The 33-year-old came from nowhere to defeat the establishment favourite, the former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, with a positive, policy-rich campaign. He also understood the new media environment, appearing on left-field podcasts, filming himself talking to Trump voters and building a huge social media following.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA The Observer

The Observer

Battle to become the global leader in defence tech gets heated

In a world riven by conflict, Germany's Helsing and US-based Anduril are piling on value as order books bulge.

time to read

4 mins

September 14, 2025

The Observer

The lion

We lions are philosophers. We get a lot of time for thinking; it’s in our nature.

time to read

2 mins

September 14, 2025

The Observer

The Observer

How Syria's stolen children were used to break the hearts and minds of their parents

A campaign of child abduction carried out in collusion with a western charity was used by the Assad regime as a weapon of war against the families that opposed him.

time to read

13 mins

September 14, 2025

The Observer

Britain can become one of the world's top tech economies - if it takes the risks

It's time to change the subject. A programme of mass deportations and leaving the European Convention on Human Rights is not going to deliver either growth or prosperity.

time to read

9 mins

September 14, 2025

The Observer

The Observer

Misinformation and myth: the UK's phoney war over human rights

The debate over the future of the European Convention on Human Rights will shape conference season and beyond, writes political editor Rachel Sylvester

time to read

6 mins

September 14, 2025

The Observer

The Observer

Assassination of Charlie Kirk strips Maga of the man who brought the youth vote to Trump

The first family mourns the White House insider whose extremist views reflected the Republican party's major shift to the right

time to read

5 mins

September 14, 2025

The Observer

Mandelson saga and Epstein links cast shadow over Trump's UK trip

When Donald Trump touches down on UK soil in Air Force One on Tuesday, a two-day period of peril for the US president and British prime minister Keir Starmer will begin.

time to read

3 mins

September 14, 2025

The Observer

The Observer

The UN must get back in the ring and fight Mark Malloch-Brown

A recent Reuters headline noted: “UN report finds United Nations reports are not widely read”.

time to read

5 mins

September 14, 2025

The Observer

The Observer

Prepare for revolution now, Elon Musk tells London rally as police come under attack

US tech billionaire calls for downfall of Labour government in speech to 110,000 marchers at Robinson's Unite the Kingdom protest

time to read

4 mins

September 14, 2025

The Observer

Big pharma's cash pull-out lands blow on UK economy

Slowly, then all at once. That's how the government's “vision” for life sciences came to the brink of disaster in the space of a week.

time to read

1 min

September 14, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size