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By Anna Commander
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is seeing his public standing improve during a week in which candidates he endorsed scored a series of victories over establishment-backed Democrats in New York primaries.
The numbers arrive as establishment Democratic leaders assess the fallout from Tuesday's primaries, where several establishment-backed candidates were defeated by contenders aligned with Mamdani's progressive movement.
The mayor-backed victories have intensified debate over the direction of the Democratic Party, with centrists likely weighing how to respond to a seemingly growing socialist and progressive wing.
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What To Know
A new Siena University poll found:
- Mamdani's statewide favorability rating has risen to 45 percent versus a 34 percent unfavorability rating, up from 43 percent vs. 40 percent in April.
- Among New York City voters, his standing improved even more sharply, climbing to a 58 percent vs. 26 percent split from 56 to 34 percent two months earlier, giving him a 32 percent net favorability compared to his previous 22 percent.
- Mamdani's net approval is now 11 percent among statewide voters, up from 3 percent.
This Siena University Poll was conducted from June 17 to June 23 among 1,120 New York state registered voters. It has an overall margin of error of +/- 3.6 percentage points
Mamdani's improving favorability also builds on earlier polling, which shows mostly positive reviews of his first months in office.
Columbia University professor Robert Y. Shapiro told Newsweek via email on Thursday, "Mamdani, as democratic socialist, has taken over the Democratic Party in New York City for now. I would be very cautious, however, to generalize at all to the rest of NY State (where NYC results drive the state opinion polling results) and to draw any sweeping conclusion about the party nationally.
"Where he has had an impact is with respect to the issue of affordability and empathy for those struggling economically, and this has significant resonance nationally and may exert further influence on the Democratic party nationally. So that aspect of his and [U.S. Senator] Bernie Sanders' and others' democratic socialism is something to watch closely beyond New York City."
Grant Davis Reeher, professor of political science at Syracuse University, also told Newsweek via email on Thursday that, "Yes, I think that this uptick has something to do with all the attention he’s been getting during this primary season, and now the success he’s had with the candidates he’s backed.
"Do I think this can capture the party? No, not yet. He—and they—need to demonstrate that they can govern beyond one city, and in particular that they can balance state budgets and compete nationally. None of that has happened yet. The actual legislative track records of federal elected officials like Sanders and [U.S. Representative Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez are still pretty thin. In the age that we’re in, that doesn’t keep you out of the political conversation, but at a national level it will catch up with you. Eventually, people will notice."
The latest poll indicates that, at least in New York, Mamdani's growing political clout has coincided with stronger personal favorability among voters, even as establishment Democrats grapple with a potentially shifting political landscape.
His endorsed candidates' success has fueled renewed national attention on democratic socialism and its place within the Democratic Party, following his own mayoral victory and the continued rise of progressive candidates across major cities.
Mamdani-Backed Candidates Sweep Primary Elections
Three candidates backed by Mamdani won their primary races Tuesday night, potentially signaling a changing of the guard from establishment Democrats to a more progressive wing of the party.
Mamdani supported New York City Comptroller Brad Lander against Representative Dan Goldman in the 10th Congressional District, organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier against Representative Adriano Espaillat in the 13th District and Assemblymember Claire Valdez in the open-seat contest to replace retiring Representative Nydia Velázquez.
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are now poised to double their representation in Congress next year with Valdez and Chevalier. Reacting to some of the results Tuesday night, Van Jones—ex-adviser to former President Barack Obama—told CNN's Kaitlan Collins in part that if Mamdani completed the "hat trick," it would mark "a new era in Democratic Party politics."
Jones also said that the "roof is collapsing on the Democratic Party establishment tonight."
The victories represented a setback for House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, whose preferred incumbent candidates lost in their respective contests. The split highlighted the growing divide between Mamdani's ascendant progressive coalition and New York's Democratic establishment, with the mayor demonstrating an ability to mobilize voters against the party's traditional power structure.
Jeffries reacted to the results on Wednesday night while speaking with MS NOW's Jen Psaki, saying in part, "I was proud to stand in support of them, and if I had to do it all over again, I'd do exactly the same thing."
The House minority leader added in part that, "In a moment like this, we really, you know, have to move forward together on the governing side in an all-hands-on-deck fashion because we're dealing with a level of extremism that Donald Trump and the Republicans are unleashing on the American people that is unprecedented."
In an interview on MS NOW's All In with Chris Hayes on Wednesday night, Mamdani said in part that, "I appreciate the relationship that I have with Leader Jeffries, and it's one where we're united in looking to deliver for the people of this city."
What Polls Show About Socialism
A new I&I/TIPP Poll released this week found that 44 percent of Americans view socialism unfavorably, compared to 33 percent who view it favorably, while 23 percent were not sure. Among Democrats, 46 percent viewed socialism favorably, while 32 percent viewed it unfavorably and 22 percent were not sure.
The poll shows that 33 percent of Americans believe capitalism offers a better future than socialism, compared to 16 percent who believe socialism offers a better future, and 26 percent who say both equally. The poll surveyed 1,589 adults from May 26 to May 28 and has a margin of error of 2.7 percent.
A Fox News Poll released in March shows that 38 percent think it would be a good idea for America to move away from capitalism and toward socialism. The poll shows that 61 percent think it would be a bad thing. The poll notes that 51 percent think socialism is working very or somewhat well compared to 49 percent who say it is not working well or at all.
The poll was conducted from February 28 to March 2 among 1,004 registered voters and had a margin of error of 3 percent.
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Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas and Edward Cummins
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