New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani used his victory speech Tuesday night to signal the direction his administration intends to take — quoting Socialist Party founder Eugene Debs and embracing his ideals of economic equality.
“The sun may have set over our city this evening, but as Eugene Debs once said, ‘I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity,’” Mamdani told cheering supporters after defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo with 50.4% of the vote.
Debs, one of the most influential figures in early American socialism, famously argued that capitalism created “wage slavery” and an economic system rigged against workers. He believed the solution was for the government to seize control of industry and redistribute wealth based on need — a message that resonated deeply with Mamdani’s campaign.
Mamdani, who represents a new generation of democratic socialists, has previously echoed Debs’ ideas. During a 2021 Young Democratic Socialists of America conference, he said the end goal of socialism is “seizing the means of production.”
His victory, backed by endorsements from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, cements a major win for the progressive left. Both Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders are self-described democratic socialists who have pushed for sweeping economic reforms at the federal level.
Debs himself became a symbol of resistance in the early 20th century, even running for president from prison in 1920 after being convicted under the Espionage Act for an anti-war speech. He argued that poverty and crime could be eradicated only through socialism — an idea Mamdani nodded to in his speech.
By invoking Debs, Mamdani not only tied himself to a century-old socialist legacy but also made clear his intent to steer New York City toward what he calls “a fairer, more democratic economy.”