Socialist Mayor Could Break US Two-Party System, Says Top Ally

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has shaken up US politics. He is the city's first Muslim mayor. He has frozen rents and proposed free public transport. Now, a key leader in his organization says he could one day break the US two-party system. Grace Mausser is the co-president of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in New York. She spoke in an interview in Barcelona. The DSA is a political organization, not a party. It operates inside the Democratic Party. It is openly socialist and communist. Mausser says Mamdani’s success proves that moderate politics are failing. "People have realized that moderate positions do not work," she said. "The Democrats have failed." The DSA has nearly doubled its membership in less than a year. Its members include Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mausser says the group’s policies, like rent control and free childcare, appeal to working-class people. She believes the Democratic Party must become bolder to defeat the far right. "Donald Trump is the champion of that far right, and the Democrats have not been able to stop him," she said. When asked if Mamdani could create a new party, Mausser said yes. "He is clearly a charismatic leader who could break the two-party system in the United States," she said. But she added that for now, Mamdani is focused on being a good mayor and fighting the right. Mamdani cannot run for president because he was not born in the US. Mausser hopes Ocasio-Cortez will run for president in the future. She believes only a socialist can offer the clear vision needed to defeat Trump and "fascism." The DSA has faced legal challenges. Landlords have sued to stop the rent freeze. Mausser says the courts are not neutral. She says public support is key to protecting their policies. Despite the risks, Mausser is optimistic. "Zohran won because he made proposals," she said. "He gave people hope. That is what we need."