the Zohran Mamdani campaign raises interesting issues

There’s an outside chance Zohran Mamdani of DSA can beat Andrew Cuomo today to become the Democratic candidate for NYC mayor.

Issues raised:

. DSA is surging; could it be successful in its effort to transform the Democratic Party into a social democratic party?

. Should that be the left’s priority strategy or should the left disdain the Democratic Party and prioritize trying to move our electoral system toward full multi-party democracy (while building up a more independent alternative like the Green Party)?

. If Cuomo wins, will the Working Families Party give its line to the Democrat as it usually does or will it finally show some independence and give its line to Mamdani in order to let him appear on the ballot in November’s general election?

In regard to the latter: It would be possible for Mamdani to win in November if the progressive vote is solid for him while the centrist vote splits four ways between Cuomo, Eric Adams, independent attorney Jim Walden, and Republican Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa.