Unite for Zohran Mamdani!

Zohran Mamdani, a bold, progressive candidate with compelling ideas to make the economy work for all New Yorkers, to focus on affordability, and to break the stranglehold of corporations and billionaires, just scored a surprisingly commanding victory in New York City's Democratic primary for mayor.

To do so, he had to defeat Andrew Cuomo, the disgraced former governor. Despite Cuomo's history of sexual predation, abuse of power, corruption, and triangulation with Republicans against progressive policies, many Establishment Democratic leaders endorsed his campaign.

Now that Cuomo has conceded to Mamdani—as have other candidates, including progressive champion Brad Lander—it's time for all Democratic leaders to come together and endorse Mamdani. He still faces an election in November against the current mayor, Eric Adams, who maintains name recognition despite his corruption and ties to President Trump, as well as a Republican candidate. And Cuomo is still considering a sore-loser strategy of an independent run.

Democratic leaders' endorsing Mamdani now will help keep Cuomo out of the race. It will also send a clear signal locally and nationally: The Democrats are ready to embrace a new generation and vision of leadership when a younger candidate runs an invigorating and inspiring campaign. And the Democratic Party has much to learn from Mamdani’s campaign. He built a broad movement across backgrounds and activated young, infrequent, and working-class voters—communities that the party desperately needs to court to be able to assemble a winning coalition. 

Democrats playing the waiting game may hurt Mamdani—but moreover, they will hurt the Democratic Party. Democrats need to embrace a new generation and new energy—and, in this moment, they have an opportunity to do so ... as well as an imperative to set Mamdani up for victory. The next mayor of New York will be a bulwark against the Trump administration, and Mamdani has built a movement ready for that fight—now, Establishment Democrats need to be on board.