A Democratic battle over the future of the party intensified after Zohran Mamdami’s stunning upset in the New York City mayoral primary.

Progressives argue Mamdani’s win is a sign of where the party needs to go if it wants to build winning coalitions that propel it to victory in next year’s midterms and beyond. But moderate Democrats opposed to Mamdani say moving too far in that direction could put the party in jeopardy in areas of the country less friendly to the sort of progressive policies he has embraced.

Some political observers point to Mamdani’s strengths as a candidate and messenger as more critical to his success and a future playbook for other Democrats than his ideology.

“[Mamdani] pretty clearly has a lot of political talent,” said Kyle Kondik, the managing editor of the nonpartisan election handicapper Sabato’s Crystal Ball. “Whatever his ideology is, it may be that the talent itself is more important than the actual issue positions.”

Mamdani shocked New York on Tuesday as votes poured in, showing him in a healthy position to beat the former powerful governor for the Democratic nod for mayor. The remarkable lead — well ahead of his start 30 points behind Andrew Cuomo — excited progressives in and out of the city, offering them a much-needed boost after a dismal November election.

Democrats pointed out that Mamdani, a young democratic socialist who’s served in the state Assembly since 2021, offered a vision to voters that excited them and noted the coalitions that he uniquely brought.

“You can win if you build a coalition, and you show that you're not just speaking to one part or one slice of voters — you're speaking to a broader slice,” said Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, the co-founder and vice president of the Democratic strategy firm and donor........

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