Mamdani Won Because Too Many Elites Lost
That a social democrat may become New York’s next mayor underscores the growing economic divide among well-educated households in cities across America.
New York’s next mayor?
Photographer: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Hell hath no fury like the disappointed haute bourgeoisie. A populist revolt has been brewing among the American left since the global financial crisis dealt a severe economic shock to young college graduates. The surprising primary win of 33-year-old Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s mayoral primary is the latest manifestation of their economic frustration. And it will only get worse.
One of the more surprising results of the Mamdani victory concerns his base: Younger, well-educated, fairly affluent and living in Brooklyn — especially the more bohemian Williamsburg and Bushwick neighborhoods. Mamdani was much less popular among lower earners who lived in the Bronx. So it’s revealing that the relatively well-off turned out enthusiastically for someone who, only a few years ago, promised to seize the very means of production that underpinned their success.