The year began with Sen. Bernie Sanders<\/a>, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez<\/a>, D-N.Y., firing up Democrats on the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour after bruising losses last year. It ends with two decisive victories for the socialist movement, with Mamdani in New York City and self-described socialist Katie Wilson in Seattle, Washington.<\/p>\n “Through Zohran\u2019s victory, the people defeated the oligarchy; the working class defeated major corporations; Democratic Socialism defeated the Democratic Party status quo,” the DSA said in a statement<\/a> as Mamdani declared victory.<\/p>\n Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell conceded to Wilson on Thursday in a tight race that took more than a week to determine the winner, handing power to the party’s left-flank in the West Coast city.<\/p>\n NYC VOTERS EMBRACE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM AS AOC, SANDERS STUMP FOR MAMDANI<\/a><\/p>\n Zohran Mamdani delivers a victory speech at a mayoral election night watch party, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in New York City.\u00a0 (Yuki Iwamura\/AP)<\/p>\n Mamdani congratulated the fellow socialist in a post Friday morning.<\/p>\n INCUMBENT SEATTLE MAYOR CONCEDES TO MAMDANI-STYLE ‘SOCIALIST’ WHO TAPPED HER PARENTS FOR MONEY WHILE RUNNING<\/a><\/p>\n “Seattle voters made their voices heard<\/a>: they want a new kind of politics \u2014 one that rejects corporate PAC money and delivers for working people. From one Mayor-elect to another, wishing you the best. Seattle is in great hands,” Mamdani said.<\/p>\n Both candidates have made history as their cities’ first millennial mayors. Running on affordability agendas<\/a>, they built their campaigns around bold progressive ideas, from universal childcare to city-run grocery stores, funded by a tax hike on the wealthy.<\/p>\n “I want everyone in this great city of ours to have a roof over their head,” Wilson said Thursday. “I want universal child care and free K through 8 summer care. I want world-class mass transit … great, safe public spaces where kids can run around without abandon, stable, affordable housing for renters, social housing and much more land and wealth to be owned and stewarded by communities instead of by corporations.”<\/p>\n President Donald Trump speaks to a gathering of top U.S. military commanders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, in Quantico, Virginia.\u00a0 (AP Photo\/Evan Vucci)<\/p>\n Both socialists have pledged to “Trump proof” their cities as President Donald Trump’s<\/a> sweeping, second-term agenda loomed large over 2025 mayoral and gubernatorial races.<\/p>\n Trump has already deployed the National Guard to a handful of U.S. cities to combat crime and enforce illegal immigrant deportation efforts, and he vowed to cut federal funding to New York City if Mamdani won.<\/p>\n WILL ELECTION DAY 2025 BE REMEMBERED AS THE RISE OF THE SOCIALISTS?<\/a><\/p>\n “New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and as of tonight, led by an immigrant,” Mamdani said during his victory speech<\/a> last week. “So hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get any of us, you will have to get through all of us.”<\/p>\n At Mamdani’s election night party at the Brooklyn Paramount theater, supporters chanted “D-S-A” throughout the night. DSA leaders also joined Mamdani’s high-profile “New York is not for sale” rally with Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez ahead of Election Day.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gov. Kathy Hochul<\/a>, D-N.Y., a more moderate Democrat, met a cooler reception at Forest Hills Stadium as Mamdani\u2019s supporters broke into chants of “Tax the rich!” as she spoke.<\/p>\n New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul hold hands on stage as they attend a “New York is Not For Sale” rally at Forest Hills Stadium, in the Queens borough of New York City, on Oct. 26, 2025.\u00a0 (Reuters\/Eduardo Munoz)<\/p>\n Mamdani can\u2019t deliver on his signature campaign promises without Hochul\u2019s approval to raise taxes.<\/p>\n As Mamdani and Wilson seek to actualize their ambitious policy agendas in two coastal cities, a socialist candidate in the Midwest wasn’t so successful this election cycle.<\/p>\n Jacob Frey won re-election as mayor of Minneapolis<\/a> last week, securing his third term.<\/p>\n SQUAD 2.0: MEET AMERICA’S NEXT WAVE OF RADICAL DEMOCRATS SHAPING THE PARTY’S FUTURE<\/a><\/p>\n The election was officially nonpartisan, though Frey chose to include the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party label on his ballot line. He defeated a large field that included state Sen. Omar Fateh, a socialist endorsed by the DSA<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fateh made waves on the national political stage this year, drawing comparisons to Mamdani’s mayoral campaign in New York City after\u00a0The Minnesota Star Tribune<\/a>\u00a0dubbed him the “Mamdani of Minneapolis.”<\/p>\n Minneapolis Mayoral candidate Omar Fateh takes a phone call at University of Minnesota, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.\u00a0 (Abbie Parr\/AP Photo)<\/p>\n The 35-year-old son of Somali immigrants who became the first Somali-American elected to the Minnesota state Senate<\/a> in 2020 challenged incumbent Frey head-on this year, criticizing the comparatively moderate Democrat for failing to “meet the needs of our changing society.”<\/p>\n While socialist slogans resonated in Seattle and New York City, Fateh\u2019s message of change wasn\u2019t enough to carry him across the finish line.<\/p>\n![\"Zohran](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763206866_303_zohran-mamdani-election-night-watch-party.jpg\")
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