Washington Examiner Senior Reporter Salena Zito said Monday the Democratic National Committee is trying not to get “entrenched” in the New York City mayoral election, as doing so could spell trouble for the party’s chances in 2026.
Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is the lead candidate in the Big Apple’s election next month, though DNC members are voicing frustration at DNC Chairman Ken Martin for not doing more to support him.
Zito said the DNC leadership decided Mamdani doesn’t need any more help since “he’s way ahead in the polls.” She added that the party getting more involved could make voters think it broadly supports Mamdani’s vision, which could “trickle down” into future election cycles.
“But unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. And so I think the DNC has made the right choice because you want to distance yourself from someone that’s not going to play in Pennsylvania. But it’s going to be difficult,” Zito said on Fox News’s Fox & Friends.
“The trajectory is he is going to win, OK? And it’s going to be really difficult going forward to the midterms to not have every single thing that comes out of his mouth compared to anybody running in any office for Democrats,” Zito said.
Zito also compared Mamdani’s mass support, despite his lack of political experience, to the “Know Nothing movement” in the 1850s. She said this movement won “sweeping” elections across the city council and local races but eventually lost power because “they couldn’t govern.”
MIAMI MAYOR PITCHES ‘UNDERESTIMATED’ TRUMP’S MEDIA STRATEGY AS REPUBLICAN ANSWER TO MAMDANI
Independent mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo targeted Mamdani’s political record on Sunday, saying the Democratic nominee only served two terms as a New York state assemblyman. Cuomo said the mayor of New York City cannot be a politician’s “first job,” as there is no time for “on-the-job training.”
Sitting Mayor Eric Adams dropped his independent reelection bid on Sept. 28, leaving the New York City mayoral election among Mamdani, Cuomo, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. Cuomo said he would accept an endorsement from Adams but not one from President Donald Trump.
