The New York mayor's race shows a badly divided Democratic Party

[Celerity]

Rise of Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani in mayor’s race reveals a stubborn divide.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/06/04/new-york-mayor-democrats-cuomo-mamdani/

https://archive.ph/zzwCZ



At first glance, it’s stunning that former New York governor Andrew M. Cuomo and state Rep. Zohran Mamdani are so far ahead of their competitors in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York. After all, the field of candidates, who will debate one another for the first time Wednesday night, includes numerous contenders with more traditional résumés — they aren’t 33 years old like Mamdani or had a government report conclude they sexually harassed 11 women like Cuomo.

But if you follow Democratic politics closely, the ascendance of Cuomo and Mamdani is less surprising. In primaries across the country over the past decade, a bloc of disproportionately younger, college-educated and very liberal Democrats have coalesced around progressive candidates. At the same time, older and more ideologically moderate Democrats, particularly those without college degrees and African Americans, often back more centrist candidates with deep ties to the party’s establishment. Ahead of the June 24 primary in New York, Mamdani has become the candidate of the city’s young progressives; Cuomo of the older moderates — and there’s not much space left for anyone else.



The persistence of this divide matters far beyond New York. Older moderate Democrats and younger progressives have disagreed sharply on how to take on President Donald Trump in the first few months of his administration. It will be hard for Democrats to be unified in 2026 and 2028 if every primary results in one big bloc of the party feeling frustrated and unrepresented.



snip

Cuomo, who has been the U.S. secretary of housing and urban development, and New York’s attorney general and governor, has the requisite experience. But four years ago, it was hard to imagine him holding office again. The report from the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James detailing Cuomo allegedly touching women without their consent and making inappropriate comments seemed (and should have been) permanently disqualifying, particularly for a party that prides itself on women’s rights and autonomy. Cuomo denies the allegations but resigned under the threat of impeachment. Also, in 2021, it seemed the Democratic Party had moved decidedly left and would no longer tolerate the centrist Cuomo, who for years had collaborated with Republicans in the New York State Senate to reduce the power of progressives in Albany.

snip

[hlthe2b]

1. Well, they better unite around SOMEONE if they don't want Curtis Sliwa (likely R opponent) to win...

Uggh.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. MY EXACT THOUGHTS ! ! !