I’m Stephen Brown, a senior editor who leads the team covering state and city government here at WNYC and Gothamist. My team has spent the past year reporting on the tectonic shift that happened in local politics. Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory sent shockwaves through the national Democratic party, with observers wondering whether the Democrat Socialist represents the future of the left, or an outlier who is too extreme outside of city limits.
But we don't rely on campaign insiders and pundits to frame our reporting. We spoke directly to New Yorkers, hearing first-hand what was driving their decisions at the polls. We paired that with granular turnout data and found that Mamdani's rapid rise was driven by a surge in new and young voters. Mamdani’s message of affordability resonated throughout the city, including in neighborhoods that swung for President Donald Trump the year prior.
Because of this reporting, Gothamist readers knew early on that Mamdani was at the vanguard of a movement that would change local politics. We also scrutinized the policies behind that movement, reporting on other cities that are testing out alternative responses to mental health crises, Mamdani’s opposition to mayoral control of schools, the feasibility of his free bus proposal and his plan to create free early childcare for all. We also reported on the behind-the-scenes lobbying by politicians vying for spots in his administration.
Next year, with your support, we’ll continue this in-depth coverage, focusing on how Mamdani manages the shift from movement leader to mayor and, more importantly, what his policies mean for New Yorkers.
We are able to cover the twists and turns of local politics thanks to the readers who help fund our newsroom. This non-profit news model means you don’t face pesky paywalls when you click links on Gothamist.
