“Mamdani’s win is historic in the ways the headlines capture,” writes Waleed Shahid, “but the basic facts aren’t the real story.” That real story, he says, is Mamdani’s recognition of “how much the ground had shifted” in this city around the American-Israeli relationship, Trump’s reelection, and his histrionic crackdowns on New York’s college campuses and immigrants far and wide.

But Mamdani’s win doesn’t just represent New Yorkers’ desire for a new narrative on foreign wars and someone who can counter a right-wing federal government—or even the very real way that social media can play a vital role in name recognition and get-out-the-vote efforts. As Jeet Heer put it, Mamdani’s win upended “not just Andrew Cuomo, but the entire political and media establishment.” The status quo will not hold.

No matter how much money Andrew Cuomo and his supporters poured down the drain to rally around the sexual harasser’s candidacy, Mamdani demonstrated the real power of an energized, people-first, small-donor grassroots campaign. Mamdani may have a tough road ahead of him, but New Yorkers are committed to his success. As Bloomberg put it eagerly this week, we are about to have one “Hot Commie Summer.”

-Alana Pockros

Engagement Editor, The Nation

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