Zohran Mamdani wins: Who are the Democratic Socialists of America?

Zohran Mamdani, 34, has been elected the 111th mayor of New York City. The left-wing state assemblyman has pledged to reshape the global finance capital by making the city more affordable for its working-class residents and pushing back against the policies of President Donald Trump.

In the mayoral election, Democrat Mamdani stood as the candidate for both the Democratic Party and the Working Families Party. He has also been a member of the Democratic Socialists of America since 2017 and describes himself as a democratic socialist.
With his win, he has made history as the city’s first Muslim mayor, as well as the first of South Asian descent – and the first to be born in an African country (Uganda). He will also be New York City’s youngest mayor for more than a century when he takes office on January 1.

“Tonight, against all odds, we made it happen,” the mayor-elect told a crowd of jubilant supporters. “New York, you’ve delivered a mandate for change, for a new politics, and for a city we can actually afford,” he said.
Mamdani’s unexpected rise underscores arguments from left-wing Democrats who advocate for more progressive policies to win over voters who have drifted away from the party. But what vision of the US do the Democratic Socialists of America have?

Who are the Democratic Socialists of America?
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organisation in the US. It has nearly 100,000 members and seeks to democratise society by “collectively own[ing] the key economic drivers that dominate our lives”, according to its website.
Unlike a traditional political party, the DSA operates as a decentralised grassroots network. It has hundreds of country-wide “chapters” (local community action groups) which engage in political organising – from labour campaigns to mutual aid projects.

In its modern form, the DSA was founded in 1982 by the political activist Michael Harrington. It gained prominence during the 2016 presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders, who electrified a generation of Americans disillusioned with persistent social inequality.

According to a report published by Oxfam on November 3, the richest 1 percent of households in the US have accumulated almost 1,000 times more wealth than the poorest 20 percent since the early 1990s.

At its core, the DSA advocates for a society where people, not profit, govern economic activity. Its members advocate for policies such as universal healthcare, affordable housing, strong unions and aggressive climate action through public investment.

The DSA does not call for the abolition of free markets, but rather for a more egalitarian society in which the public assumes greater control of resources and institutions, thereby watering down corporate power.

In many ways, the DSA are jockeying for something that already exists across the Atlantic: European-style welfare programmes. European governments – whether in Scandinavia, Germany or France – have long operated universal healthcare schemes, for example.

In Europe, populations have come to expect high-quality public healthcare, which is usually free at the point of delivery, decent housing and education. While DSA proposals may sound radical in a US context, advocating for a mixed economy is fairly routine in Europe.

When it comes to elections, the DSA gives its endorsement to progressive mainstream political candidates who align with its values – figures such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

This strategy reflects the DSA’s dual ambition: to contest power within existing institutions of power to try and reform them.

Who is associated with the Democratic Socialists of America?
A foundational figure: Bernie Sanders
While he is not a formal DSA member, Bernie Sanders has long identified as a democratic socialist. In 2016, he was close to securing the Democratic Party’s nomination for presidential candidate, but eventually lost out to Hillary Clinton.

Sanders received 13.2 million votes during the presidential primaries, amounting to roughly 45 percent of the ballot. Clinton, meanwhile, received 16.9 million votes, and then subsequently lost the presidential election to Donald Trump.
In spite of his loss, the 84-year-old Vermont senator has remained the poster boy for disillusionment with the political status quo.

While Sanders identifies as an independent – meaning he has no formal relationship with the Democratic Party – he continues to receive popular support for his views on free universal healthcare and free university tuition.

The DSA website references Sanders’ political revolution as part of its guiding ideology. As such, he is less a member politician and more a symbolic anchor for the DSA movement.