By Satyaki Chakraborty
Democratic socialist and other progressives swept the election to the primaries in New York and Washington as the results were available on Tuesday night. Three congressional candidates endorsed by the democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani won defeating the other candidates endorsed by the Democratic Party establishment.
Similarly in Washington D.C., all winners belonged to the Sanders group thereby giving a clear signal to the Democratic Party establishment that the DSA with its own programme will go to the November midterm and the new Presidential candidate of the Democratic Party will have to take into account the programme of Bernie Sanders. In the mid tern polls to be held in November this year, elections will be held in all 535 Congress seats and in one third of the Senate seats. Democratic Party is going all out to win the midterm taking advantage of the present unpopularity of President Donald Trump as a result of inflation and rise in cost of living of ordinary Americans.
Brad Lander, the former New York City comptroller who also ran for mayor last year before endorsing Mamdani, won his race comfortably, defeating the Democratic representative Dan Goldman. He was ecstatic at the post results rally at Brooklyn when he said “What a glorious time to be a New Yorker. He said that the old politics is giving place to new with Mamdani at his side. The results of both New York, the financial capital and Washington D.C. the national capital energised the Democratic Socialists Association members who are contesting in a large number of primaries.
It was a big personal victory for Mamdani who campaigned in a big way for the DSA candidates. New York is a traditional base of the Democratic Party. The other establishment candidates have also good credentials but the left wave swept away some of the well known Democratic contestants with long years of service.
After taking over as the Mayor of New York on January 1 this year, Mamdani saw to it that his services for the different segments of the multi racial cosmopolitan New York are appreciated. That way, the victory of his candidates in Democratic primaries will strengthen his position in Democratic Party’s leadership.
President Donald Trump was also closely monitoring New York elections since he was born in Queens and still calls himself as a New Yorker though he has shifted to Florida. Late on Tuesday night, Trump celebrated the defeat of both Goldman and Conway, the official Democratic Party candidates but at the same time warned that the aggressive communists are taking over. He always calls Mamdani a communist and does not want to distinguish between a communist and a socialist.
As regards the Republicans who also held primaries along with the Democrats for the November midterm polls, Trump backed candidates won in most districts. Political observers say that among the Republicans support base. Trump is taken as the only person who can take on the Democrats. That is why despite some erosion. Trump’s support base among the Republicans is intact.
Just four months are left for the November midterm polls. The Democratic Party has stepped up campaign against Donald Trump focusing on his expensive Iran war and the inflationary pressures on the U.S. economy. Trump also giving active assistance to his Republican candidates. The midterm is crucial for him. The President can not allow a house to be dominated by the Democrats for the next two years of his current presidency. The battlelines are drawn. (IPA Service)
