Zohran Mamdani gave the Democratic Party something it sorely lacked: a new source of momentum. His run for New York City mayor—featuring viral videos across the boroughs; promises of rent freezes, free buses, and childcare; and a grassroots coalition that powered huge turnout—vaulted him from single-digit support in early polls to a decisive win over Andrew Cuomo and into the national spotlight. The democratic socialist quickly became a standard bearer for progressives and a test case for the