UP TO YOU: The Zohran phenomehran

Today in our series on the New York mayoral race, Nate Schweber catches up with challenger Zohran Mamdani at Andrew Cuomo's house

Journalist and author Nate Schweber continues his coverage of the New York City mayoral race and what it means for American democracy with a look at Zohran Mamdani, the millennial socialist who’s leaped past the field and to national visibility with a mix of fighting spirit and viral video skill. Can he make being a progressive Democrat cool again? Read on.

Want to know more? Join us this Thursday, March 27, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, when we’ll be having a Live conversation with Zohran Mamdani. If you’re interested in the New York City race (and you should be) or want to get an early chance to hear from an emerging Democratic voice, you won’t want to miss it. See you there!

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By Nate Schweber

What a difference a week — and a couple of national political outrages — has made in the New York City mayoral race.

On Friday morning the rising, progressive dark horse Zohran Mamdani, clad all in black, planted himself in a cold wind outside the tall, trapezoidal Midtown Manhattan building where the Democratic primary front runner, former governor Andrew Cuomo, recently rented a luxury apartment. Much of Mamdani’s popularity has come from his success in creating viral videos, and a confrontation outside Cuomo’s new home would be the perfect setup for another.

“What would you say if Andrew Cuomo was to come out of his house right now?” asked a New York Post reporter. “Could happen, right?”

Mamdani fired back: “I would say, ‘When are you going to find your spine?’”

Three days later, a visibly excited Mamdani stood, impervious to a chilly rain outside City Hall, and announced that his campaign had just raised the maximum amount allowed by law (he’s amassed a war chest of $8 million) and would shut down its fundraising. This came a week after a poll showed that of the 10 candidates for the June 24 Democratic primary — which will determine the likely eventual winner of the mayoral race — Mamdani trails only Cuomo and incumbent mayor Eric Adams.