When Zohran Mamdani emerged victorious from June’s Democratic primary for New York City mayor, progressive activists celebrated what they saw as a watershed moment for American socialism. Two months later, the revolution appears to be taking a rather familiar detour through the centre of Democratic politics.

The 33-year-old state assemblyman, who stormed to the nomination promising free buses and frozen rents, has spent recent weeks courting business leaders, meeting with church congregations, and carefully calibrating his positions. Most notably, he’s walked back his 2020 calls to “defund the police”, now insisting he “will not defund the police” and believes officers have “a critical role to play” in public safety. He has agreed to condemn the phrase “globalise the intifada” after being pressed by Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla at a Partnership for New York City meeting. He also suggested keeping law-and-order-oriented Jessica Tisch as police commissioner, a move guaranteed to further rankle his socialist base.

This Rightward drift shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s followed Democratic politics over the past decade. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blazed this particular trail years ago, transforming from insurgent radical into reliable party vote. Her starring role at the 2024 DNC cemented her as a leading Democratic light, but it also signalled her cautious rapprochement with the party’s establishment. Democratic Socialists of America members continue to support her even while the official organisation doesn’t, having rescinded its endorsement of her in 2024. Frankly, where else can they go?

Mamdani understands this calculation. His base has limited options: they can back the socialist who’s moderating his positions, or they can watch Andrew Cuomo pick up the keys to Gracie Mansion. Mamdani’s recent speech at an African Methodist Church — in which he pledged to make life in the city “affordable” and “dignified” for everyone — and meetings with business leaders does signal his recognition that governing New York requires more than socialist slogans. The city’s economic foundation rests on industries and interests with which any mayor must engage, regardless of their campaign rhetoric.

Still, policy weakness matters less than one might think. Mamdani’s appeal was never really about sticking to detailed proposals. Young voters facing the prospect of $3,500 studio apartments and AI-racked entry-level job markets don’t particularly care whether their candidate goes to the barricades in support of one set of housing policies or another. They want someone who acknowledges their struggles and promises to fight for them, even if those promises eventually prove hollow.

The dance between Mamdani and establishment Democrats such as Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries resembles two families negotiating an arranged marriage. Both sides know they’ll have to live together, but they’re still haggling over the fine print. Schumer and Jeffries will eventually endorse Mamdani — they’re party bosses, after all, and can’t simply sit out the general election. But they’re extracting what they can first, forcing Mamdani to shift some of his positions before they’ll embrace him publicly.

And that’s good, because moderation is required. Take housing: as advertised in the primaries, Mamdani’s proposals amount to freezing all stabilised rents, even for those who got lucky with sweetheart deals. In contrast, Cuomo’s recent rent control proposals, including means-testing for rent-stabilised apartments, represent serious, alternative engagement with the city’s housing crisis.

What we’re witnessing is the inevitable collision between socialist aspirations and political reality. Mamdani can promise all he wants, but implementing his policies requires working with a state legislature, navigating union contracts, and managing municipal budgets. The constraints of governance have a remarkable way of moderating even the most radical politicians.

The real question isn’t whether Mamdani will moderate. That process is already underway. It’s whether his base will remember this as a betrayal, or whether they’ll simply accept that this is how politics works in America, where even revolution comes with compromises.

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Oliver Bateman is a historian and journalist based in Pittsburgh. He blogs, vlogs, and podcasts at his Substack, Oliver Bateman Does the Work

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