On June 25, following a long Democratic Party primary campaign, radical left candidate Zohran Mamdani, a staunch socialist supported by Bernie Sanders, defeated Andrew Cuomo, former state governor and minister, a candidate of the establishment. Convinced that this victory for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party could mark a major turning point for New York, and also in the struggle of the American left against Trumpism, we offer here the translation of his victory speech, rendered by Hadrien Bortot.
" Tonight, we made History.
In the words of Nelson Mandela: "It always seems impossible... until it is done." My friends, we have done it. I will be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York City.
An hour ago, I spoke with Andrew Cuomo about the need to bring this city together, as he called me to concede the race. I want to thank Brad Lander, who did exactly that. Together, we have shown the power of the politics of the future — one of partnership and sincerity.
Today, eight months after launching this campaign with the vision of a city every New Yorker could afford, we have won: we have won from Harlem to Bay Ridge. We have won from Jackson Heights to Port Richmond. We have won from Maspeth to Chinatown. We have won because New Yorkers have stood up for a city they can afford — a city where they can do more than just struggle. One where those who toil in the night can enjoy the fruits of their labor in the day. Where hard work is repaid with a stable life. Where eight hours on the factory floor or behind the wheel of a cab is enough to pay the mortgage, to keep the lights on, to send your kid to school.
A city where rent-stabilized apartments are actually stabilized. Where buses are fast and free. Where child care doesn’t cost more than rent. Where public safety keeps us truly safe. Where the Mayor uses their power to reject Donald Trump’s fascism, to stop mass ICE raids, and to govern our city as a model for the Democratic Party — a party that fights for working people with no apology. A life of dignity should not be reserved for a fortunate few. It should be one that city government guarantees for every New Yorker.
If this campaign has demonstrated anything to the world, it is that our dreams can become reality. Dreaming demands hope. And when I think of hope, I think of the unprecedented coalition of New Yorkers that we have built. This is not my victory. This is ours. It is the victory of the Bangladeshi auntie who knocked on door after door until her feet throbbed and her knuckles ached. It is the victory of the 18-year-old who voted in their first ever election. It is the victory of the Gambian uncle who finally saw himself and his struggle in a campaign for the city he calls home.
Dreaming demands solidarity. And when I look out at this room and out onto the midnight skyline, that is what I see. Canvas launches that continued in the pouring rain. Children who called parents. Strangers who care about those they will never meet. A New York that believes in each other and in itself. This is solidarity, and it defines our victory.
And above all, dreaming demands work. Last Friday night, as the sun began to drop in the sky, I set off on a 13-mile walk from the northernmost tip of Manhattan to the base of the island. We began in Inwood, where music played and neighbors set out dominoes on the sidewalk. It was 7:00 p.m. The weekend had arrived. For most people, the time for work was over. But this is New York, where the work never ends. Waiters carried plates on 181st Street. Conductors drove the subways that rattled high above 125th. World-class musicians tuned instruments as we passed Lincoln Square. By the time we made it downtown, a crowd marched behind us — a living embodiment of the energy and purpose that defines this campaign. Still, long past midnight, New York worked. Garbage trucks weaved through empty streets. Fishmongers carried in tomorrow’s wares. And when we finally arrived at the Battery at 2:20 a.m., the workers who run the Staten Island Ferry were on the job too — just as they are every hour of the day, every day of the week. Each of these New Yorkers carried a dream with them that night as they labored, just as each of us dreams of a New York that is more hopeful and affordable for all.
And we have worked hard for our dream. This has been a historically contentious race, one that has filled our airwaves with millions in smears and slander. I hope now that this primary has come to an end, I can introduce myself once more — not as you’ve seen me in a 30-second ad or a flyer in your mailbox, but as I will lead as your mayor. I will be the mayor for every New Yorker —whether you voted for me, for Governor Cuomo, or felt too disillusioned by a long-broken political system to vote at all. I will fight for a city that works for you, that is affordable for you, that is safe for you. I will work to be a mayor you will be proud to call your own. I cannot promise that you will always agree with me, but I will never hide from you. If you are hurting, I will try to heal. If you feel misunderstood, I will strive to understand. Your concerns will always be mine, and I will put your hopes before my own.
And I know that those hopes extend beyond our five boroughs. There are millions of New Yorkers who have strong feelings about what happens overseas. I am one of them. And while I will not abandon my beliefs or my commitments grounded in a demand for equality and humanity for all those who walk this Earth, you have my word to reach further, to understand the perspectives of those with whom I disagree, and to wrestle deeply with those disagreements.
Let me close with this. In these dark times, I know that it is harder than ever to keep faith in our democracy. It has been attacked by billionaires and their big spending, by elected officials who care more about self-enrichment than the public trust, and by authoritarian leaders who rule through fear. But above all, our democracy has been attacked from within. For too long, New Yorkers have strained to find a leader who represents us — who puts us first. And we have been betrayed time and again. After so many disappointments, the heart hardens. Belief becomes elusive. And when we no longer believe in our democracy, it becomes easier for people like Donald Trump to convince us of his worth. For billionaires to convince us that they must always lead. As FDR said: “Democracy has disappeared in several other great nations not because the people disliked democracy, but because they had grown tired of unemployment and insecurity — of seeing their children hungry while they sat helpless in the face of government confusion and weakness. In desperation, they chose to sacrifice liberty in the hope of getting something to eat.”
New York, if we’ve made one thing clear over these past months, it is that we need not choose between the two. We can be free. And we can be fair. We can demand what we deserve. And together, we have built a movement where everyday New Yorkers recognize themselves in our vision of democracy. Every new voter registered — that is confidence renewed.Every voter who braved the heat to get to the polls — that is confidence renewed. Every New Yorker who sees in this campaign a solution to the challenges they face — that is confidence renewed. Together, New York, we have renewed our democracy. We have given our city permission to believe again. And I pledge to you that we will remake this great city — not in my image, but in the image of every New Yorker who has only known struggle. In our New York, the power belongs to the people. "
Illustration image: "Zohran Mamdani at the Resist Fascism Rally in Bryant Park on Oct 27th 2024", photograph from OCtober 27th, 2024, by Bingjiefu He (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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