Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani joined forces at Brooklyn College rallying progressive voters and drawing national attention to the city’s mayoral race.
The event, part of Sanders’s Fighting the Oligarchy Tour, highlighted the growing momentum behind Mamdani’s campaign and the increasing hostility from the White House.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has become a clear frontrunner in the city’s mayoral race, with a strong focus on addressing income inequality and affordability issues.
“Politics can be powered by ordinary people,” Mamdani told the packed auditorium, emphasizing the need for a more equitable distribution of wealth and power.
His proposals include free childcare for children aged between six weeks and five years, as well as a plan to build 200,000 new affordable homes over the next decade.
Sanders, a vocal supporter of Mamdani, criticized billionaire owners of major media companies, including David Ellison, who oversees Paramount, and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla.
“We are living in a crazy world,” Sanders said, “Millions of people are struggling to put food on the table, and they [Tesla shareholders] are making one guy a trillionaire.”
Mamdani also targeted big businesses like DoorDash, which spent $1 million trying to defeat him, saying, “New York City is not for sale.”
The town hall discussion touched on various issues, including childcare costs, which can be as high as 25% of household income.
One working mother in the audience shared her struggle, spending $36,000 on childcare annually. Mamdani responded, “We have to feel the depth of the statistics we have grown numb to,” emphasizing the need for comprehensive solutions.
Mamdani’s campaign has drawn attention from the White House, with President Donald Trump inaccurately referring to him as “a communist.”
Trump’s administration may be trying to meddle in the New York mayoral race, with reports suggesting he could offer support to incumbent Eric Adams, currently in fourth place in the polls.
Adams denied being in talks with the Trump administration for a potential role in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Mamdani pushed back against Trump’s involvement, stating, “This is a city where we will choose our own mayor.” He also criticized Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square, who promised to fund a more “centrist” candidate after Mamdani clinched the Democratic nomination.
The New York mayoral race is part of a broader national shift towards progressive politics. Similar movements are gaining ground in cities like Minneapolis, Albuquerque, and Seattle, with candidates focusing on issues like affordable housing, worker protections, and income inequality.
Sanders believes Mamdani’s surge and the backlash from the White House are evidence of the progressive wave’s momentum. “What they are afraid of is Mamdani becoming an example of what could happen all over the US,” Sanders said.
As the race heats up, Mamdani is preparing for potential challenges, including the possibility of Trump deploying the National Guard to address crime.
“We have to prepare for the inevitability of that deployment,” Mamdani said, citing California’s successful challenge to a similar deployment in court. New York City has seen a decline in crime, with police data showing fewer shootings in the first eight months of this year than in any comparable period in its history.