Congratulations to the latest candidate for Wilmington Mayor: Zohran Mamdani.  This recently naturalized American citizen promises to bring about lasting change that will impact generations.  A former rapper/hip hop artist, he is also a proud member of the Democratic Socialists of America and will champion their causes.

Well, not really.  Currently only two candidates have officially registered for the mayor race: current Mayor Bill Saffo and former County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield, Jr.   While the race is “non-partisan” – meaning no Rs or Ds will be next to names on the ballot – both men are registered Democrats. 

This is why it is actually Zohran Mamdani running.

The New Party Leader

Mr. Mamdani did not just win the Democrat primary for the mayor of New York City, he crushed it:

Socialist Zohran Mamdani kneecapped ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s comeback bid for New York City mayor – securing more primary votes than any Big Apple Democrat in more than three decades.

The Queens assemblyman toppled the political scion 56-44 after just three rounds of ranked-choice voting, according to calculations by the city Board of Elections released Tuesday, a week after the June 24 primary.

He snagged 117,000 more votes than Cuomo, for a total of about 545,000 — the most in a Democratic mayoral primary since 1989, when David Dinkins snagged some 547,000 against incumbent Ed Koch in a non-ranked-choice election. (New York Post)

During the race he received endorsements from several Democrat Party leaders including:

• S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jerrold Nadler, Nydia Velázquez, Yvette Clarke, Pramila Jayapal and Adriano Espaillat
• New York State Attorney General Letitia James

While neither Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer nor House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed him, both quickly congratulated Mamdani on his win in the Big Apple.

It seems a party that has had a hard time finding a new leader has found one.  Wilmington will pay the price.

A True Leftist

Mr. Mamdani embodies everything the far left pushes for in our country.  His goals include:

• Free universal childcare: No matter the income level, he promises to have the government look after the children of New York City.
• City Owned Grocery Stores: It worked in the Soviet Union, why shouldn’t it work here?
• A $30 per hour minimum wage by 2030: Because businesses should be all about going OUT of business by paying employees too much.
• Reinforce NYC’s pledge to be a sanctuary city: To heck with federal laws and borders.
• Pledging to spend $65 million on transgender care: Because even though it is illegal in NYC for anyone under 18 to get a tattoo, it is perfectly allowable to cut off children’s body parts and sterilize them for life.

These are just a few of the platforms that Mr. Mamdani wants to implement as he leads the largest and most influential city in America.  By the turnout in the polls and the reactions across the country, Democrats seem to eagerly embrace these radical positions that will surely bankrupt New York.   If implemented here, they will destroy us.

Minimal Democrat Opposition

Despite these very far left platforms that make up the losing side of 80-20 issues, very few Democrat leaders have come out in opposition to Mr. Mamdani.  In fact, according to the Washington Post, Democrat leaders from across the country “gushed” over the presumptive mayor of New York:

National Democrats gushed about what they heard at an hour-long “Communication and Organizing Skillshare” hosted by a fellow New Yorker, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D). The event was attended by about 40 mainly liberal lawmakers and shifted venues because of high demand, according to a Mamdani spokesperson.

Some local leaders are not onboard with Mr. Mamdani.  They include:

• Former Governor Andew Cuomo. He lost in the primary but will run as an independent.
• Tom Suozzi (NY-3). He is a dedicated “Democrat Capitalist”, and believes a democrat socialist would make New York City undesirable.
• Laura Gillen (NY-4). She warns that he is “too extreme” for New York and has “a deeply disturbing pattern of unacceptable antisemitic comments.”

These holdouts are the exception.  The Democrats have found their new leader in a radical, far left mayoral candidate who has every chance of winning the seat.  Far from being called to distance themselves from this candidate – as many Republicans did after the January 6^th events –  progressive elements in the Democrat are pushing their colleagues to more fully support this man. 

Stopping Mamdani in Wilmington

In addition to the mayoral race, seven others have declared for the city council:

• Clifford Barnett Sr. (Democrat)
• Chakema Quintana (Democrat)
• Cassidy Santaguida (Democrat)
• C. Lyle (Democrat)
• Richard Collier (Republican)
• Luke Waddel (Republican)

This is a non-partisan race.  However, candidates will always be influenced – and financially supported – by their parties.  Will the local Democrat party be able to keep the influence of Zohran Mamdani out of Port City?  Do they want to?

The Democrats are enthusiastic embracing an openly far-left candidate in New York.  We, however, need to make sure Mr. Mamdani’s policies do not affect us here in Wilmington.  We should not be afraid to ask our candidates:

• Do you support the “transing” of children in our area? If the candidate supports the mutilation of youth, he or she has no place in government.
• Do you think the government should be in the food business? If so, that person has no idea of the power of a free market system.
• Are you an ardent supporter of Palestine and Hamas? If answered in the positive, that candidate actually supports the murder and rape of women and children in Israel and other places that embrace human dignity and freedom.
• Do you believe Wilmington should be a sanctuary city? Perhaps the candidate has no problem with the crime, job suppression, drugs and other crimes illegals bring to our nation.

There are other problems here in Port City.  We cannot forget that we face high taxes implemented by the Democrats soon after their victory in 2023, a definite traffic problem, suffering infrastructure, and increased property crime.  These local issues need to be addressed properly to make sure our great city continues to flourish.

But Zohren Mamdini’s policies and ideologies are unavoidably in the background of the Democrats here in New Hanover.  It will drive their campaigns, it will fuel their financial coffers, and it will influence the decisions they make in government.  It will be highly unlikely that any Democrat in this race will openly decry Mr. Mamdini’s policies nor distance him or herself away from his platforms.  The far-left organizations that bankroll their races will not allow them to back away from the party’s new leader. 

So Wilmington, meet Zohren Mamdani - your Democrat candidate for mayor.  He – as does the Democrat party he leads - pledges to expand government, sterilize your kids, increase taxes, and promote socialism and extreme Marxism. He is the face of the Democrat party and wants to be the face of every city in America.

Let’s hope we thoroughly reject his party and keep him in New York.