Democratic socialism is thriving in New York. This is good. | Opinion

New York City is having a once-in-a-lifetime summer, and Republicans across the country are horrified. Guess it’s a good thing that many don’t live here.

On June 23, all three New York City congressional candidates endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary were victorious over their respective challengers. Two of the candidates – Claire Valdez in the 7th Congressional District and Darializa Avila Chevalier in the 13th Congressional District – are members of the Democratic Socialists of America, netting the party another series of wins after a monumental 2025.

This is terrific news for those of us invested in a better future for New York City and who see government as a vehicle for achieving that. It’s terrifying news for people who want to label Mamdani and Co. “communists” and lament the fall of Western civilization as we know it.

The thing is, too many Republicans are convinced that any Democrat with a shred of authority is going to act like the president they elected. They assume that all politicians are like President Donald Trump, destroying everything in their path and thwarting the rule of law to achieve their agenda. Because Republicans have allowed a lawless leader to run the country, they think all leaders are lawless.

But when we look at Mamdani and his fellow progressives, it seems as though things are operating by the book – perhaps even more than when Republicans have been in power. Guardrails still matter.

Progressive Democrats got elected because they're better candidates

Mamdani’s candidates won the Democratic primary because they were good candidates with the backing of a popular mayor. They championed Medicare for all and spoke on the affordability crisis in the city. They stood against taking money from corporations in favor of grassroots, community-based fundraising. They didn’t throw transgender people or immigrants under the bus to win over moderates – they stood firmly in their beliefs that trans people are people deserving of legal protections, and that  Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be abolished.

All of that is what Republicans think is "extreme."

Mamdani’s candidates were also vocally supportive of the Palestinian people amid Israel's destruction of Gaza, something establishment Democrats have been wary to do. Former City Comptroller Brad Lander, a self-described liberal Zionist, was not afraid to call the decimation of the Palestinian people in Gaza a “genocide.” U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, the incumbent Lander beat, was backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

This commitment to beliefs and a long-term vision for the Democratic Party clearly worked in these candidates’ favor. Lander and Avila Chevalier were strong enough to win against established incumbents, while Valdez won in an open primary against the well-established Brooklyn Borough president.

It’s clear that these things, at least in New York City, motivate voters. Yet considering the enthusiasm I’ve noticed from progressives across the country, it seems as though moving further to the left is the future of the Democratic Party.

Democrats need to move left. New York is showing them how.

I’m still a little surprised that Mamdani’s endorsed candidates were able to eke out victories. While polling showed Lander ahead of Goldman before polls closed on June 23, it was unclear whether Valdez and Avila Chevalier would prevail in their respective primaries.

I’m pleasantly surprised that the most progressive New Yorkers engaged in the electoral process and selected candidates who will transform the Democratic Party.

Now, they must do the work to show that democratic socialism and progressive politics are viable options for New York City by continuing to organize and hold elected officials' feet to the fire. This is just the beginning – they have to show the rest of the country and the people who fearmonger over what New York is becoming that this can really work.

Republicans are stressed over what New York might become. The rest of us are stressed over what America is becoming.

Barring hell freezing over in November and any Republicans winning, it seems as though the New York City coalition in next year’s Congress will include several democratic socialists and progressives. It’s not just a win for New York City – it’s a win for everyone who wants to see the Democratic Party move toward adopting progressive policies and away from the hand-wringing that we’ve been witnessing for the past decade.

With more progressives in Congress, we will hopefully see the most powerful men in the Democratic Party – Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries – pushed further to the left. This means more things getting done for the working class, and ultimately more wins for the Democratic Party.

Republicans may be anxious about the future of New York City, but I’m not. I see a city leading the charge for a new Democratic Party, a city that wants to be the proof that democratic socialism can work in the United States – so long as it receives support from the establishment.

No one is taking over New York City or trying to implement sharia law. New Yorkers did, in fact, vote for this.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on Bluesky:@sarapequeno.bsky.social