The Chicago Tribune issued a grim warning to New Yorkers about electing a socialist mayoral candidate like Zohran Mamdani in a bombshell op-ed Monday, the day before the Empire State’s primary elections.
The paper’s editorial board paints a bleak image of Mamdani, the 33-year-old Democratic socialist Queens assemblyman who leapfrogged longtime frontrunner, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in a stunning new poll released earlier in the day.
“A familiar dilemma: a moderate, business-friendly Democrat versus a democratic socialist. New Yorkers, take it from Chicago — we’ve seen this movie before, and the ending isn’t pretty,” the board of one of the last remaining big-city daily newspapers cautioned.
The Tribune likened Mamdani’s buzz-worthy campaign, which has garnered a historic amount of grassroots support, to that of embattled progressive Windy City Mayor Brandon Johnson, whose took office in 2023.
“Johnson’s approval rating cratered in his second year — a reflection of how quickly progressive promises collapsed under the weight of governance and Chicago’s financial reality,” the paper wrote. “What sounded good in theory has translated into dysfunction, driven by fiscal missteps and political inexperience.
“Johnson is one of the most progressive mayors in the U.S., but Mamdani, inarguably, is yet more radical,” it continued.
The outlet pointed out that many of Mamdani’s ideas — such as rent freezes, city-operated supermarkets and free transit — are “shared (at least in principle) by Mayor Brandon Johnson, and many of them are popular in blue cities.”
But was quick to argue that “experience has taught us here that far-left candidates do not make for effective or popular municipal executives in today’s stressful economy.”
The ed-board drew parallels between Mamdani’s freebie-filled platform, which he plans to fund with tax hikes to bring in roughly $10 billion annually, to that of Johnson’s similarly overzealous tax proposal.
“Johnson tried to float a $300 million tax hike — and failed. He tried to pass a ‘mansion tax’ that would’ve hiked the real estate transfer tax — and failed,” the Tribune highlighted.
The Tribune was the latest to pile on to the recent wave of news outlets denouncing the Queens pol’s ambitious run.
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The paper echoed sentiments shared by myriad New York publications, including The Post, Daily News and New York Times — who have discouraged voters from ranking the socialist candidate, whose too-good-to-be-true platform is just that, they say.
A through line in the anti-endorsements of the two-term Assemblyman is his lack of experience and the unrealistic nature of his policies.
“If New Yorkers are frustrated with Mayor Eric Adams, they should be careful not to trade him for someone who might preside over a city that is less competitive and less financially secure.
“Trust us — we’re living that reality.”
The Tribune’s ominous warning comes just one day before Tuesday’s primary election.
Polls across the five boroughs will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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