Democrats swept most of the elections held yesterday, but none of the outcomes were really surprises. Races in deep blue New York City and New Jersey, as well as ever-bluer Virginia, went for Democrats as predicted. Prepare yourself for self-serving analyses of the outcome.
Already, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is using Zohran Mamdani’s win in New York City as a rallying call to the Democrats’ most radical impulses. But the election of someone like Abigail Spanberger, a former Blue Dog Democrat, on the same night as governor of Virginia is evidence that voters aren’t necessarily looking for the most radical options. Mikie Sherrill, who will be New Jersey’s next governor, is also a former Blue Dog. The Blue Dogs represent the most moderate wing of the Democratic Caucus in Congress.
In the deep blue blob city of New York, Mamdani faced a flawed candidate in Andrew Cuomo. Attributing his success to his radical positions and projecting those preferences beyond the unique electorate of NYC is perhaps a mistake. Even in blue New York, Mamdani squeaked into a majority with only 50.4% of the vote.
So what will Mamdani bring to New York City? Reason’s Jack Nicastro explains that the city can’t afford Mamdani’s promises, writing:
- Freezing the rent: Mamdani’s signature campaign promise was to freeze the rent for more than 2 million tenants living in rent-controlled housing. But the city’s cost of living has grown unabated despite decades of rent control—which, coupled with restrictive zoning, has made the city’s housing shortage worse.
- $30 minimum wage: There’s good reason for New Yorkers to be skeptical of Mamdani’s plan to raise the minimum wage. When the city raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2018, the predictable result was increased unemployment and black markets in labor. Nearly doubling the current minimum wage of $16.50 by 2030 would produce similar consequences.
- “Free” buses: On the campaign trail, Mamdani promised to eliminate the fare on every city bus to make them “fast” and “free.” The plan would cost taxpayers $600 million–$800 million annually and likely result in slower speeds, which is what happened when the city piloted five fare-free bus lines in 2023 and 2024.
- Government-run grocery stores: Mamdani has proposed not-for-profit, government-run grocery stores—subsidized to the tune of $140 million a year—to reduce prices at the checkout counter. New York’s grocery stores, like others across the country, operate on razor-thin margins. The profit motive isn’t to blame for high grocery prices; inflation and supply chain disruptions are.
- “Universal” day care: To prevent an exodus of families struggling to afford child care, Zohran wants to offer free child care to children 6 weeks to 5 years old. Mamdani’s state-run day cares would cost taxpayers—including parents who work part-time or stay at home to take care of their children themselves—an estimated $6 billion annually.
- $5 billion corporate tax: Naturally, Mamdani promises that you won’t pay for his multi-billion dollar programs—greedy corporations will! If Mamdani manages to convince state lawmakers to increase the city’s corporate tax rate from 7.5 percent to 11.5 percent, New Yorkers should expect companies to reduce salaries, benefits, and headcount to remain in business. Some might opt to abandon the city altogether, leaving the taxpayers of the People’s Republic of New York to foot the bill for their socialist utopia.
In response to this agenda reports the Daily Mail, nearly a million New Yorkers are “ready to flee” the city. Nick Allen reports:
Nearly one million New Yorkers are preparing to flee the city should democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani win the race for mayor, a poll has found.
The departure of at least 765,000 citizens would be one of the biggest mass exoduses in American history, with a population equivalent in size to Washington DC, Las Vegas or Seattle leaving the Big Apple.
The crushing survey, conducted by JL Partners for the Daily Mail, found that 9 percent of New Yorkers would ‘definitely’ leave the city, which currently has a population of 8.5 million.
Another mass exodus from New York City after the recent flight during the city’s draconian Covid lockdowns could do considerable damage to the area’s economy.
Action Line: If you’re stuck in a big blue blob city like New York, and you’re looking for a better America, begin your search with Your Survival Guy’s 2025 Super States. And click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
