‘Bogeyman’: Some Democrats reportedly freaking out over ‘extremist’ Mamdani likely becoming NYC mayor

Some Democrats are reportedly anxious over the prospect of Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani winning the mayorship in New York City in one week. Several Democrats have grown increasingly worried about the idea of Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, being elected, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The report comes just one week before New York City’s highly-anticipated Nov. 4 general election. “It’s one thing for Republicans to use absurd attacks calling Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi socialists to scare voters,” Fernand Amandi, a longtime Democratic strategist based in Florida, told the Washington Post. “It’s another thing to use an actual socialist to scare voters about the Democrats being the party of socialists, and that’s the concern about Mamdani.” Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. Democratic New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer told the Washington Post in an interview that Mamdani has “extremist views” that are not in line with the party as a whole, also saying he is worried that the GOP may highlight Mamdani as a “bogeyman” in attack advertisements ahead of the 2026 midterms. “If we’re focused on playing defense on Mamdani, that will be a … major distraction,” Gottheimer said. Moreover, Democratic New York Rep. Tom Suozzi has said that he is a “democratic capitalist, not a democratic socialist,” also criticizing socialism as a “failed economic system” that “hasn’t ever worked in the history of the world,” the Washington Post reported. “That’s just not something that we endorse or support,” Suozzi told the Washington Post in an interview where he also pledged to combat socialism. Democratic New York Rep. Laura Gillen similarly told the Washington Post in a statement that she is opposed to many of Mamdani’s socialist policies. Gillen has also publicly called for other Democrats in Congress to say “We are not socialists,” the Post reported. “Mamdani, much like President [Donald] Trump, has properly diagnosed the problems that people are confronting in their daily lives. They have economic insecurity. They’re worried about the cost of living,” Suozzi told the outlet. “He’s wrong about his proposed solutions.” Still, many Democrats have lauded Mamdani as a prospective future face of their party. A Suffolk University poll of likely New York City mayoral race voters released Monday showed Mamdani in the lead with 43.8% of support, 10 points ahead of former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — running as an independent — who polled at 33.6%. “So-called ‘Leader’ Hakeem Jeffries’ signed a deal with the socialist devil, and now every House Democrat is dragging an anvil of radical socialism into 2026,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Mike Marinella said in a statement provided to the DCNF. “The NRCC will make sure voters know what the modern Democrat Party now stands for.” Viet Shelton, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told the Washington Post that the 2026 midterm elections will be decided by “who’s going to lower prices, fix the economy, and put working families first.” Mamdani has pledged to impose higher taxes on what he refers to as “richer and whiter” New York City neighborhoods. He has also vowed to introduce “free” buses in the city if he is elected mayor. Additionally, Mamdani has previously said he believes billionaires should not exist, despite New York City being the U.S. city with the highest number of billionaires. A Gallup survey released on Sept. 8 found that just 42% of Democrats have a favorable view of capitalism, while 66% said they have a positive view of socialism. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].