{"id":12196,"date":"2025-06-28T10:42:56","date_gmt":"2025-06-28T10:42:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/?p=12196"},"modified":"2025-06-28T10:42:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T10:42:58","slug":"mamdanis-new-york-mayoral-primary-win-exposes-democratic-divide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/?p=12196","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani’s New York mayoral primary win exposes Democratic divide"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Just hours after Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani declared victory in <\/a>New York<\/a>‘s mayoral primary on Wednesday, a small group of business leaders convened with Mayor Eric Adams, who bypassed the Democratic primary and is instead running in the general election as an independent.<\/p>\n

Attendees were focused on strategizing how to prevent Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblymember, from winning the mayoralty — and assessing whether Adams was the strongest contender to oppose him in November.<\/p>\n

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New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani speaks with ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott in New York City, June 25, 2025.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

ABC News<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Among those present was former NYC mayoral candidate and former hedge fund executive Whitney Tilson, who recently shared a debate stage with Mamdani. Tilson described Mamdani as \u201cvery charming and charismatic,\u201d but added he sharply disagrees with Mamdani\u2019s policies and \u201c[About] 5% of New York City<\/a> voters picked him\u2026 It’s a totally rigged closed primary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tilson told ABC News when it became clear the race was between two people, he had hoped former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo<\/a> would win. He said he would \u201c…continue for the next 130 days what I began in earnest 45 days ago — to make sure Zohran Mamdani, an unqualified radical socialist, does not become mayor of our city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several other vexed moderate-minded Democrats, beyond the handful in the meeting with Adams, are making similar schemes, a Democratic source with knowledge of the conversations confirmed to ABC.<\/p>\n

That source suggested that some are mulling over boosting centrist lawyer Jim Walden, who is running as an independent, as a potential spoiler. And billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman (who supported Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election) pledged to bankroll<\/a> whichever viable challenger vows to take on Mamdani in November.<\/p>\n

Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, wrote<\/a> that Mamdani\u2019s win was “disastrous” and that she, Ackman, and others must \u201cfigure out a way to save New York\u201d in response to his promise.<\/p>\n

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New York City mayoral candidate and former New York governor Andrew Cuomo (C) speaks during an election party following the primaries at the Carpenters Union in New York City on June 24, 2025. Ex-governor Cuomo conceded on June 24, 2025, to left-wing rival Zohran Mamdani in New York City Democratic mayoral primary.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

John Lamparski\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

However, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he\u2019s not aware of any progressives who are \u201cquaking in their boots about a particular scenario\u201d and that serious Mamdani supporters’ worries come not from threats, but \u201cbecause we should be worried of the unknown, and no one should take this general election lightly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s more than ironic that Ackman thinks he has anything left to say to anybody in the Democratic Party after his activities last few months,\u201d de Blasio told ABC News. \u201cAs some of these people are flailing about, they are only reminding people that Zohran\u2019s positions are going to be the majority positions in this town.\u201d<\/p>\n

The former mayor, whom Mamdani said was the best in his lifetime, said he doesn\u2019t believe the accusations of radicalism or extremism will stick, pointing to Mamdani’s strong margins<\/a> from Tuesday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the magnitude of the victory has woken up a lot of people who were buying into stereotypes — unfair stereotypes — of Zohran,\u201d de Blasio said. \u201cYou can’t be extreme if such a clear majority want you. To use a New York City phrase: he’s instantly been koshered.”<\/p>\n

Mamdani isn\u2019t shielding himself from the incoming, either.<\/p>\n

Longtime New York powerbroker Kathryn Wylde told ABC News Mamdani called her Thursday evening, and expressed interest in meeting with the CEOs whom Wylde said were \u201cextremely concerned\u201d with his economic and fiscal policies.<\/p>\n

Wylde agreed — and plans to host a meeting between Mamdani and any of the interested 300 plus executives who are members of Partnership for the City<\/a>, where she serves as CEO, during the third week in July.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe business community will not determine who is mayor. But we want whomever is mayor to have relationships and understand the issues that will keep our city strong,\u201d Wylde said.<\/p>\n

His campaign told ABC News he\u2019s committed to meeting \u201cwith anyone and everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Zohran has said throughout this campaign, he\u2019ll meet with anyone and everyone to move our city forward. Zohran\u2019s committed to delivering an administration of excellence that delivers an affordable and safe city for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected,\u201d Mamdani campaign spokesperson Lekha Sunder said in a statement.<\/p>\n

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 24: New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY) speaks to supporters during an election night gathering at The Greats of Craft LIC on June 24, 2025 in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Michael M. Santiago\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Mark Gorton, founder of LimeWire and chairman of Tower Research Capital hedge fund, said he donated $250,000 to Cuomo\u2019s super PAC<\/a>, Fix the City, after it became clear that his preferred candidate, Brad Lander, would not win the primary. However, Gorton acknowledged to ABC News he did so reluctantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, \u2018I\u2019m tired of being on the outside — I want to be on the inside,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Still, he knew his top concerns — support for cyclists, reducing car traffic and expanding bus service — were not priorities for Cuomo.<\/p>\n

\u201cCuomo was a disaster,\u201d the activist, who started a non-profit focused on New York\u2019s streets nearly three decades ago, said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t even show up at the candidate forum and drives around in a Dodge Charger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gorton said he felt relieved when Cuomo lost, noting that both Mamdani and Lander are strong on the issues he cares about. If November\u2019s election were held today, he said, he would vote for Mamdani.<\/p>\n

When asked whether he would contribute to Mamdani\u2019s campaign, Gorton hesitated.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t need my money. Money doesn\u2019t always make a difference,” he said.<\/p>\n

Some Democrats in New York\u2019s Congressional delegation are distancing themselves from Mamdani. Speaking on WNYC\u2019s “The Brian Lehrer Show” on Thursday Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand declined to say<\/a> who she would endorse. When pressed, she said: \u201cI vote in Albany,\u201d and will leave the decision to New York City voters.<\/p>\n

Rep. Tom Suozzi, who represents a Long Island swing-district that includes some parts of Queens, posted on X<\/a> that he continues to have \u201cserious concerns\u201d about Mamdani.<\/p>\n

Yet some of the highest ranking of the delegation seem open to Mamdani.<\/p>\n

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York, praised Mamdani after his apparent primary win. Showing particular support for his campaign’s focus on affordability, both vowed to meet with him. Rep. Gregory Meeks, (D-NY), also told ABC News he was looking to speak with the presumptive nominee.<\/p>\n

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), the most senior Jewish member of the House of Representatives, went even further. After backing one of Mamdani\u2019s challengers during the primary, Nadler has since endorsed Mamdani\u2019s general election bid.<\/p>\n

And former president Bill Clinton, who backed Cuomo, wrote on X<\/a> that he is \u201cwishing [Mamdani] much success in November and beyond as you look to bring New Yorkers together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Veteran Democratic strategist Lis Smith, who once worked for Cuomo and is now a critic, told ABC News centrist Democrats are partially to blame for the former governor’s loss and suggested they look in the mirror.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is baffling that they decided to cast their lot with a disgraced former governor who was run out of office and had no new ideas or inspirational message to offer New Yorkers. Spare us the freak out,\u201d said Smith. \u201cThis just seems like the last gasp of the establishment and the affiliated billionaires trying to stop a grassroots moment that, frankly, they helped fuel.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just hours after Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani declared victory in New York‘s mayoral primary on Wednesday, a small group of business leaders convened with Mayor Eric Adams, who bypassed the Democratic primary and is instead running in the general election as an independent. Attendees were focused on strategizing how to prevent Mamdani, a 33-year-old state […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12196"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12198,"href":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12196\/revisions\/12198"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmman.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}