The Democratic party’s identity crisis, and why Zohran Mamdani is pointing the way forward
The Democratic Party is in freefall. Not in the ballot boxes—yet—but in the hearts and minds of the American people. With a favorability rating that has plummeted to a historic low of just 29 percent according to a CNN poll from March, the party faces an existential question: what does it stand for? And, more importantly, can it deliver anything beyond strongly worded tweets to the Trump agenda?
Over 70 percent of Rust Belt voters hold a negative view of the Democratic Party. Even among Democrats themselves, only about one-third are optimistic about their party’s future, down sharply from 60 percent just a year ago. Just over half of Democratic-aligned individuals believe their leadership is steering the party in the wrong direction. These aren’t just right-wingers mocking their opposition online, these are Democrats, abandoned by a party that has lost its way.
What Went Wrong
The common explanation for why the party lost its constituents is that Democrats alienated working-class voters by focusing too much on cultural issues and identity politics, but recent polling from the Center for Working-Class Politics shows voters aren’t rejecting Democrats over the culture war, they just don’t trust them. When researchers tested economic populist candidates with identical messaging about corporate greed and protecting jobs, those labeled as independents significantly outperformed those labeled as Democrats. The Democratic brand itself has become synonymous with empty promises.
“I’m not real high on Democrats right now. To me, they’re not doing enough to push back against Trump.”
— Damien Williams, Democratic voter from Illinois
This sentiment echoes across the party’s base. Democrats are frustrated that their elected officials “roll right over” when confronting Republican power. They watch as Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer sides with Republicans on spending bills while their communities struggle with crushing housing costs, stagnant wages, and crumbling infrastructure. The party that once championed the New Deal and built the American middle class now seems more interested in winning the favor of Wall Street donors than fighting for working families.
Enter Zohran Mamdani
An unlikely figure: Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist who won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor by double digits, defeating Andrew Cuomo and, more importantly, the establishment. Mamdani’s victory represents the biggest electoral achievement the Democratic Socialists of America has ever had, surpassing even that of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He didn’t win by moderating his positions or staying close to the political center. He won by offering voters something Democrats have failed to provide for decades: a concrete vision for making life materially better.
Fare-free buses, a four-year rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments, universal childcare, city-owned grocery stores, and a $30 minimum wage by 2030, all funded by taxing millionaires and corporations. His platform is made of commitments that speak directly to the economic anxieties crushing working-class New Yorkers. In Bushwick, Brooklyn, where housing costs have become unbearable, Mamdani won by a staggering 79-point margin. His message resonated because it acknowledged the reality voters live every day: the cost of living is out of control, and government should actually do something about it.
Why Mamdani Matters
Mamdani’s candidacy terrifies the Democratic establishment precisely because it exposes their failures. When Andrew Cuomo, backed by Bill Clinton and billionaire donors, lost to a three-term state assemblyman who ran a grassroots campaign, it sent shockwaves through the party. The Democratic Socialists of America reported that local chapters nationwide are seeing unprecedented turnout at meetings, with large Signal chat groups organizing to monitor ICE activities and support immigrant communities.
“The energy within the DSA is a reaction to a power vacuum in the Democratic establishment, where few can articulate what the party stands for. Repeated failures of establishment Democrats to counter fascism have led many working-class individuals to realize that we need a radically different political agenda.”
— Gustavo Gordillo, chair of DSA’s New York chapter
Critics dismiss Mamdani as too radical, pointing to his DSA membership and support for Palestinian rights as evidence he’ll alienate moderates. But this misses the point entirely. Voters aren’t looking for moderation, they’re looking for someone who will fight for them. A Gallup poll from September 2025 found that 66 percent of Democrats view socialism favorably, while approval for capitalism hit a historic low of 54 percent overall and just 42 percent among Democrats. This “center” the establishment clings to is a fiction. The real divide is between those who believe government should serve working people and those who serve corporate interests.
The Path Forward
Mamdani has already begun the difficult work of proving democratic socialism can govern effectively. He’s meeting with business leaders, including Democratic Party fundraiser Robert Wolf, who came away convinced that Mamdani understands the importance of a thriving private sector. He’s adjusted his rhetoric, emphasizing support for renters over punishment for landlords, focusing on building up public education rather than tearing down specialized schools.
Mamdani stands for something. He’s shown that campaigns can be built on grassroots energy rather than billionaire checks, that politicians can propose transformative policies without apologizing for them, and that voters will respond when offered real solutions. His campaign knocked on over 1.6 million doors and made over 2 million phone calls, supported by more than 50,000 volunteers.
The Democratic establishment can either learn from Mamdani’s success or continue its spiral into irrelevance. The party’s 29 percent favorability rating is a fire alarm that should be impossible to ignore. Voters are practically begging Democrats to stop treating politics as a game and start treating it as a battle for people’s livelihoods. Mamdani is showing them how. Whether they’re willing to listen will determine not just the party’s future, but whether American democracy can address the crises bearing down on working families.
Their choices are clear: either embrace what Mamdani represents, or watch as the Democratic Party becomes a relic, remembered only for squandering every opportunity to fight for what’s right.