How a group like this could be so dominant in a political party that represents half the country is mind-boggling

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his past Thursday, a hostile takeover attempt began in New York City, the outcome of which could decide the future of the Democratic Party and cast a shadow over Jewish life across the country.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the extreme-left national figure known to all as AOC, endorsed Democratic Socialists of America poster child Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City. The local election is really a high-stakes battle for control of the rudderless Democrats, and AOC’s endorsement is the opening salvo in that struggle.

If Mamdani wins, the radical left effectively leads the Democratic Party for years to come. If Mamdani loses, the moderates will retain majority control of the party in their bid to reclaim power in 2026 and 2028. For the Democrats, the barbarians are at the gate. For the Jewish communities who live in large blue cities, the prospects of far-left control are even more dire.

Domino Effect

Zohran Mamdani is one more domino in a decades-long play by a small but patient movement of socialists on the radical left. This play started in 1981, in the mayoral election in Burlington, Vermont. Three candidates were running in the progressive city, one as a socialist. The socialist candidate knew it would be a low-turnout election and outworked his opponents, winning the election by only ten votes. His name was Bernie Sanders, and he became the first socialist in decades to win such a major election.

Bernie Sanders went on to become Congressman Sanders, then Senator Sanders, and finally, in 2016, presidential candidate Sanders. Ignored at first in his bid for the nation’s highest office, Sanders ended up winning almost two dozen states. He lost the battle to Hillary Clinton, but won the war by laying the groundwork for a nationwide radical-left movement.

At the time, a young Queens bartender said that hearing Bernie Sanders on the campaign trail “broke my brain a little bit.” Two years later, this same bartender ran for a long-shot congressional seat in a low-turnout primary with an entrenched incumbent and won by 4,000 votes. She was AOC, and she took the nation by storm as an open member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) willing to challenge Donald Trump and building a massive social media following.

AOC recruited candidates, led an informal far-left caucus in Congress known as “the Squad,” and has since led the national radical movement. Winning the office of mayor of New York City would be a major coup in the 44-year campaign by the far-left wing of the Democratic Party.

Why They Have a Chance

The DSA, the organizing body of the socialist movement, has under 100,000 members nationwide. How a group like this could be so dominant in a political party that represents half the country is mind-boggling — until you know the secret to their success. A common thread that runs through all their major victories is low turnout in critical primary elections. AOC and Sanders both won their first races in super low-turnout elections where the moderate majority didn’t show up.

In politics, those who show up and vote are the visible voice, and those who don’t are invisible. The socialists are growing in power by relying especially on victories in blue-state primaries whose results typically decide the general election. In districts where Democratic voter registration outpaces that of Republicans by as much as four to one, general elections just don’t matter. And the turnout in these primaries is predictably miniscule. In the primaries for New York’s 2021 mayoral campaign, out of close to four million eligible Democratic voters, fewer than one million turned out.

The far left gets even more help from New York City’s “Ranked Choice Voting” system, which allows voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference. If no candidate wins 50%,then the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. That candidate’s top-choice votes get redistributed to the next-highest ranked candidate, and so on, until one candidate emerges with a majority.

The bottom line is this system gives even more power to those who show up in low-turnout primaries. In 2021, Eric Adams won ranked-choice votes in the eighth round, by about 7,000 ballots. The extreme left’s goal is to exploit a system that rewards those who show up when most simply won’t.

Alarm Bells

If a socialist mayor were to be elected in America’s largest city, expect to see this become a trend, not just for Democrats, but for all major cities with large Jewish communities. Places like California, New Jersey, and Maryland could encourage movements hoping to replicate New York City’s model for electing far-left leaders. That is dangerous, because this socialist movement is at the forefront of many very bad things that should disturb the Jewish community.

After October 7, the DSA’s New York chapter tweeted out support of an October 8 Times Square rally to effectively justify Hamas atrocities. Over the past two years, socialist activists have led efforts for boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel, attended college encampments, and fought against the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. Two weeks ago, the DSA Liberation Caucus supported a statement to free Elias Rodriguez, the terrorist who slaughtered two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C.

Can They Be Stopped?

I believe that not only can the socialists be stopped but that their movement can be set back substantially if they lose this election. AOC is putting all her chips in on making “Mayor Mamdani” happen so that she can step up to “Senator AOC” or “President AOC.” A win for Mamdani would advance those aspirations significantly, but a loss would relegate this movement back to being a minority within the Democratic Party, demonstrating that they don’t have the reach, message, or policy to take their message global.

Fearless Forecast

Republicans Win Florida Governor’s Race 

A more well-known Democrat has entered the race for governor of Florida. David Jolly, a former representative, adds his name to a mix that includes Byron Donalds and rumors of Casey Desantis. It doesn’t matter. As we discussed above — if in blue states, the Democratic primary is the election, then in a red state like Florida, the GOP primary is the election.

House Oversight Panel Picks Stephen Lynch as Ranking Dem 

With the death of Gerry Connolly, Democrats now have a vacancy for the top slot in this key House committee. Remember, if the Democrats take back the House, the House Oversight Panel will be watchdog over the Trump administration. Lynch, who is 70, is currently serving as interim chair while many younger Dem House members vie for the role. I think Democrats stay with the guy currently holding the job. They’re too risk-averse to allow one of the younger members the opportunity. The American gerontocracy continues.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1065)