Some well-deserved good news, John:

Yesterday, 33-year-old Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary in New York City’s mayoral race, defeating a disgraced, corrupt former governor from a famous political dynasty with the backing of billionaires, corporate Super PACs, career politicians, and the party establishment.

Make no mistake: This is a MASSIVE win for our progressive, working-class movement that dares to put forward a bold vision and fight for the people instead of the corporate elite.

Zohran campaigned on lowering costs for New Yorkers through free buses, a rent freeze, no-cost childcare, city-owned grocery stores, taxing corporations and the 1 percent, raising the minimum wage to $30 by 2030, and more.

Surprise! That’s what working people want from their leaders.

Not only that, but he notably did not throw marginalized communities like trans youth, immigrants, or Palestinians under the bus like so many in the Democratic Party are so quick to do in an attempt to win elections.

Zohran has shown that when you're brave and stand up to a political establishment that thinks lowering costs for everyday people is too hard (on their billionaire donors, that is) — you can inspire millions that another future is possible.

When polls showed Zohran gaining on Andrew Cuomo in the last few weeks, Cuomo-supporting super PACs fueled by lobby groups, corporations, and billionaires like Michael Bloomberg and Trump-supporter Bill Ackman dumped a record-shattering $25 million into the race.

The Democratic establishment claims it's desperate to win back young and disaffected voters, but every time someone actually inspires people, they unite CEOs and corporate Super PACs against them because their policies aren't billionaire-approved.

People are done waiting for political courage. That’s why Zohran — fueled by grassroots donations and matching public funds — prevailed. This election was a referendum on the old Democratic Party that refuses to change and separate itself from the corporate elite who want to keep the working class down.

With the growing rise of MAGA fascism in this country, voters don’t want feckless politicians who run further to the right and cozy up to corporate interests like Republicans — they are looking to the left for a true opposition party.

Though our focus is federal races, Zohran embodies the future we’ve been fighting for since our founding in 2018, and we’re keeping it up by recruiting and supporting working-class progressive candidates to challenge do-nothing Democratic incumbents who refuse to change.

We’re already supporting State Rep. Donavan McKinney in his primary challenge against out-of-touch, multi-millionaire incumbent Rep. Shri Thanedar. To elect him and other progressive, working-class candidates to Congress, it’s going to take a groundswell of grassroots support, just like we saw in Zohran’s race.

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This is a promising sign of hope, and a warning to every career politician that thinks they can survive a primary from the left.

In solidarity,

Justice Democrats