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One big question about the future of the Democratic Party comes down to age. A growing number of young Democrats, many of them left-leaning, are running for office, and they're hoping to topple a generation of older, more centrist Democrats. As NPR's Brian Mann reports, this generational battle is at the center of the race for New York City mayor.
BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: Andrew Cuomo was Democratic Party royalty for decades. The son of party icon Mario Cuomo, he served in the Clinton administration before leading New York as the Democratic governor for a decade. Now 67, Cuomo says his deep resume makes him the perfect guy to lead New York City.
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ANDREW CUOMO: This is no job for on-the-job training.
MANN: Cuomo speaking there during last week's debate, where he described himself as a pro-business Democratic centrist. But he's running as an independent after being trounced in his party's primary by Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who serves in the state legislature.
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ZOHRAN MAMDANI: What I don't have in experience, I make up for in integrity. And what you don't have in integrity, you could never make up for in experience.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Yes.
MANN: Mamdani, a relative unknown until this year, celebrated his 34th birthday last weekend. Despite his relatively thin track record, he leads this race by double digits. Andres Bernal, a political analyst at the City University of New York, thinks Mamdani was smart to offer big, progressive ideas - like freezing apartment rents and offering free city bus service - that appeal to young voters.
ANDRES BERNAL: Be ambitious and look for fundamental changes that I think inspire a lot of people and are - is associated with Mamdani's youth.
MANN: The latest poll by the AARP and Gotham Polling shows over half of Mamdani's support comes from young New Yorkers under age 50. For Cuomo, meanwhile, 76% of his support is over age 50. Bernal says one challenge for Cuomo is that he carries the kind of baggage - including a sexual misconduct scandal that forced him from office in 2021 - that many younger voters associate with the Democratic Party's older establishment.
BERNAL: It's a revolving door with a lot of corporate America, with a lot of funders, lobbyists.
MANN: But it's not only serious policy issues that set these men apart. It's also lived experience and communication style. Here's how the two candidates answered when asked whether they've bought marijuana in New York City's legal shops.
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MAMDANI: (Laughter) I have purchased marijuana at a legal cannabis shop.
UNIDENTIFIED MODERATOR: OK. Mr. Cuomo?
CUOMO: No.
MANN: This difference in tone and attitude is playing out starkly in social media, where Mamdani's upbeat campaign videos often go viral.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: He's building a movement that goes beyond what we just expect out of a regular politician.
MANN: J.C. Polanco, a political analyst and professor at the University of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx, is critical of many of Mamdani's left-leaning policy ideas, but he says Mamdani's social media outreach to young voters is a game-changer.
JC POLANCO: Zohran Mamdani is right now the epitome of what you're going to see every other candidate try to do. They're copying him. He has rewritten the book. I love his style. He's the happy warrior.
MANN: During last week's debate, Cuomo said his campaign's social media messaging is getting better, but he acknowledged playing catch-up.
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CUOMO: I did not do enough on social media, which is a very effective medium now. I think the assemblyman did do a better job on TikTok and social media than I did during the campaign.
MANN: With voting underway, Election Day is just two weeks away. If he holds onto his lead, Mamdani will represent one more big generational change - serving as the first Muslim mayor in a city that's home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel. Cuomo has attacked Mamdani repeatedly for criticizing Israel, but polls show most younger voters back Mamdani's position on the Gaza War and Palestinian rights.
Brian Mann, NPR News, New York. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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