New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani used a CBS Mornings appearance and a 100-days rally in Queens to promote democratic socialism beyond New York, pointing to early governing steps he says reflect a working-class agenda, including a state-city agreement on universal child care and a pothole-filling blitz. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared with him at the rally.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist and former state Assembly member representing Astoria and Long Island City, has begun using the traditional “first 100 days” milestone to make a broader case for his politics.
Appearing on CBS Mornings on April 16, Mamdani said democratic socialism could “flourish anywhere,” arguing that “there is only one majority in this country—that’s the working class.” In the same interview, he cited a package of early actions and agreements he described as progress toward campaign goals, including $1.2 billion secured with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration to advance universal child care, enforcement actions that he said held “bad landlords” accountable for $32 million, repairs to 6,070 apartments, and 102,000 potholes filled.
On Sunday, April 12, Mamdani marked the milestone publicly at a “100 Days” event at the Knockdown Center in Queens. Supporters waved signs including “Childcare for All,” “NYC Groceries: Fresh Food, Fair Prices,” and “Pothole Politics,” as he pledged to “govern as a Democratic socialist” and argued that the worth of an ideology should be judged by what it delivers.
In his remarks, Mamdani paired the practical achievements he highlighted—particularly street repairs and housing enforcement—with a list of policy priorities that included expanding the use of heat pumps at New York City Housing Authority buildings in the Rockaways, building supportive housing in Harlem, investing in youth mental health clinics, working to close the Rikers Island jail complex, and supporting immigrants facing federal immigration enforcement.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders joined Mamdani on stage and said it was the first time he had been introduced by an elected official who spoke proudly about democratic socialism.
Mamdani also linked his message to the history of socialist officeholders, citing Milwaukee’s Daniel Webster Hoan—who served as mayor from 1916 to 1940—and Emil Seidel, the socialist mayor who preceded him. In his telling, the Milwaukee experience showed how an ideology could be judged by its delivery, a legacy that helped earn the city’s socialist leaders the nickname “sewer socialists.”
