Just hours after Zohran Mamdani’s apparent victory in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, Republicans are already homing in on the 33-year-old democratic socialist as their new boogeyman ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
With the GOP preparing to defend its slim margins in Congress, Mamdani — who has vowed to hike taxes on New York City’s richest residents, freeze rent on more than a million apartments and push for city-owned grocery stores — has quickly emerged as a face for Republicans’ attack line against “radical socialist” Democrats.
Shortly after former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo conceded the race, Vice President JD Vance posted on social media to congratulate Mamdani as “the new leader of the Democratic Party,” previewing what will likely become a go-to refrain for Republicans as midterm season edges closer.
The National Republican Congressional Committee — the party’s arm for House races — was also quick to label Mamdani as “antisemitic socialist radical Zohran Mamdani,” doubling down on a criticism of his vocal opposition to Israel that dominated the contentious primary. Pictured next to Mamdani in the NRCC’s graphics were his “friends” — three battleground House Democrats who represent districts neighboring New York City, none of whom endorsed him in the primary.
One of those Democratic members — Laura Gillen, who flipped a district on Long Island in 2024 — scrambled to separate herself from Mamdani.
In a Wednesday morning statement, Gillen called Mamdani “too extreme to lead New York City” and “the absolute wrong choice for New York,” distancing herself from the state lawmaker ahead of what is likely to be a competitive reelection race.
But national Republicans have already spotlighted Tuesday’s primary. “Every single Democrat now owns Mamdani’s radical socialist agenda to defund police, abolish prisons & stop ICE from deporting criminals,” the committee posted later, quoting House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries congratulating Mamdani.
A spokesperson for Mamdani did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But Republicans have repeatedly sought to elevate progressive New Yorkers to represent the entire party — including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and other members of “the Squad” — to mixed success in past elections.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) — a close ally of President Donald Trump who is considering a gubernatorial run — said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is in “full blown panic mode” because of Mamdani’s apparent win. “Tick tock, tick tock Kathy Hochul…,” she wrote. “Next year, New Yorkers will defeat you to save our state.”
Mamdani is also poised to serve as a high-profile enemy for New York’s most vulnerable Republicans, several of whom will be defending House seats in battleground districts after gaining ground in the state.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), a battleground member who narrowly won his Lower Hudson Valley seat in 2022 and is also considering a gubernatorial run, took to X on Tuesday night to predict that “NY Democrats will pay the price for this insanity at the ballot box this November and next.”
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