Mamdani’s victory lap: ‘Foot on the gas, this is the moment’

Almost everything went right for both New York and national Democrats Tuesday, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was sure to take a victory lap while imploring the left wing of the Democratic Party to put their “foot on the gas” – full speed ahead.   

“I hear often that the politics that we’re fighting for here in New York City are not possible outside of city limits. What last night showed us is that working people are the majority,” Mamdani said during a press gaggle outside City Hall after Election Day. “It is time to put those same people first in our politics. Last night shows us that it’s possible to do so.” 

Mamdani was asked about “considerable momentum” on the left – a phrase he gleefully asked the reporter to repeat – and whether the left should be “pressing its foot on the gas” or if there was too much risk of fracturing the party in doing so.

“Foot on the gas, foot on the gas,” Mamdani said. “This is the moment where we are seeing people across this country vote for a politics that will mean something …It’s a new dawn in America. It’s a new day in America, and I cannot wait to see what we do with this opportunity because it is one that we now must deliver on.”

Mamdani was also asked about the potential for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to become speaker of the House of Representatives and for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to return as majority leader. Asked whether he had concerns about whether Congress Members-elect Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, democratic socialists who he endorsed, would support Jeffries for the speaker role, Mamdani suggested he isn’t looking to influence anyone. 

“I’m not here to make decisions for others. I think that what we’ve seen is that they’ve been elected to make their own decisions, and the decisions that they’ve made thus far have been those prioritizing working people every step of the way.”

Mamdani said he has a “good working relationship” with Jeffries. “I had the opportunity to speak to Leader Jeffries last night, I congratulated him on the victories across the board,” he said.

Among the many spoils of victory from Election Day,  Mamdani also touted his five ballot proposals crafted by the Commission on Government Efficiency, which all passed with at least 61% of the vote. 

Mamdani, who campaigned heavily with Hochul in the final stretch of the race, credited the governor and state Attorney General Letitia James for their statewide wins – and fit in one last swipe at Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman.

“We also saw the governor, the attorney general, Democrats up and down the ballot, winning at margins that we haven’t seen in quite some time,” Mamdani said. “Which is incredible, considering so much of the campaign was spent hearing Bruce Blakeman talk about how it was going to be 52-48, and I don’t even know if he won Nassau.” 

Blakeman, who is the Nassau County executive, appears to have very narrowly lost his home county – by 216 votes – according to unofficial election results from the county Board of Elections.