06/17/2025
As a Chicago ward organization that primarily focuses on elections, 33WF has been following the inspiring campaign of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
Day in, day out, many of our members comb the news and social media, constantly dispirited by the genocide in Gaza, the constant drumbeat of fresh horrors from the Trump administration, and ICE’s kidnapping of our neighbors across Chicago. But to our pleasant surprise, the one bright spot in our media searches that we can always count on is a hilarious video or an inspiring update from the Mamdani campaign.
We have been thrilled to witness Mamdani go from being a long-shot candidate to leading the polls against the establishment favorite, Andrew Cuomo.
Mamdani has consistently held the line on bread-and-butter issues, such as fighting for rent freezes, free bus programs, and a community safety program that bears similarities to our Alderperson Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez’s Treatment Not Trauma initiative. He also hasn’t shied away from topics moderate Democrats avoid, like defending Mahmoud Khalil, standing up for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) of Israel, and defending trans rights with a bill that resembles and expands on Ald. Rodríguez Sánchez’s Bodily Autonomy Ordinance, by making NYC an LGBTIA+ sanctuary city, in addition to “expanding and protecting gender-affirming care citywide… [with an] immediate investment of $65 million” and “creating the Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs”.
As an organization that has consistently helped movement candidates get elected against billionaire-backed bullies, we have seen both the dangers and opportunities in guiding one of our own into office. We wish the campaign success and hope such an administration can bring the campaign’s vision to life, improving the lives of all New Yorkers. Moreover, we know this campaign has already increased the number of committed allies against the Trump administration and in the long-term fight to build #CitiesForTheMany.
We hope any New Yorkers who read this will remember that:
- They should rank Mamdani FIRST on their ballot
- Based on the NY Working Families Party, you should then rank Brad Lander #2, Adrienne Adams #3, and Zellnor Myrie #4.
- DO NOT RANK Andrew Cuomo!
- Early voting began on Saturday, June 14, and ends on Sunday, June 22.
- If you can’t early vote, election day is Tuesday, June 24.
- You must be a registered Democrat to vote in the Democratic Primary.
The beauty is that campaigns like these can mobilize organizations and recruit new members to join them, to win offices during election season, and fight for reforms through political movements and mutual aid between elections.
If you're in NYC, or plan on visiting before June 24, and would like to join Zohran’s campaign to be a part of the bright spot in these challenging times, please visit the campaign website: https://www.zohranfornyc.com/
Looks like phone banking is even an option!
If any Mamdani volunteers end up in Chicago for the Socialism Conference, we hope you’ll look us up at the Chicago meet-up between sessions!
UPDATE: Between drafting and publishing this statement, New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander, "was arrested by officers at immigration court in Manhattan after he tried to escort a migrant whom officers were attempting to arrest", according to CNN. Fortunately, he has been released, but only after being detained for several hours. We are glad to hear he is safe and with his family. But we condemn his detention in the first place, as well as the ongoing detentions, deportations, and family separations of immigrants being carried out around the country by ICE and the Trump administration. It is precisely these escalating attacks that require us to build a movement around the country, through elections, protests, mutual aid, labor, and more: to build a just and humane world for all.
