The plot to stop Mamdani: Democrats scramble to block far-left takeover in New York

They're the kind of headlines that likely put fear into Democrats not only in New York City but across the country.

Since his stunning victory two weeks ago in New York City's Democratic Party primary for mayor, stories have surfaced about democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's past.

Among the items going viral are reports of a 2020 photo Mamdani posted online that shows him flipping off a statue of Christopher Columbus, stories about comments Mamdani made last December, when he said as mayor he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his recent comments in a cable news interview that "I have many critiques of capitalism."

Mamdani's double-digit victory over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates in last month's primary rocked the Democratic Party, fueling already existing internal divisions between the party's progressive and more moderate wings.

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While many progressives cheered Mamdani's victory, saying it was a "clear rejection of the old guard," more moderate Democrats are in panic mode over what his win means for the party.

And Mamdani's primary performance raised fears that a general election victory by the Ugandan-born 33-year-old state assemblyman from Queens – who took a major step toward becoming the first Muslim mayor of the nation's most populous city – will only fuel GOP attacks on the party.

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Since his primary victory, Republicans have relentlessly painted Mamdani as an extremist and anchored him to Democrats across the country ahead of next year's midterm elections.

The attacks stretched from down ballot on the campaign trail all the way up to the White House, with President Donald Trump claiming that Mamdani was "a 100% Communist Lunatic."

Amid the barrage of Mamdani-focused headlines and political rhetoric, some of his rivals are mulling a plan to try and derail him by joining forces in the general election.

While Cuomo lost the Democratic mayoral nomination to Mamdani, he's running on the November ballot as an independent, which state rules allow. 

And Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped his primary bid earlier this year amid sinking poll numbers in the wake of numerous controversies, is seeking re-election as an independent.

Also on the ballot in the general election are Jim Walden, a former federal prosecutor running as an independent, and Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, who, for a second straight election, is the Republican mayoral nominee.

Walden last week proposed that an independent study should be conducted to see which candidate would be the strongest to take on Mamdani, with the weaker contenders agreeing to drop out.

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Mamdani, thanks to his primary victory, is the clear frontrunner in the general election in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a roughly six-to-one margin.

Walden on Monday said in an interview on Fox News Radio's "Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla" that a Mamdani victory in November "would be terrible for the city and would set us back a whole generation, so I proposed a poll in either late September or early October."

"If the candidates agreed to this, we would all agree on a poll that would happen, and it would be winner take all," he said.

Cuomo senior advisor Rich Azzopardi backed the idea, saying that Walden "correctly points out that if he, Mayor Adams, and Gov. Cuomo all run, it all but ensures a socialist victory. Jim proposed a fair independent survey be taken in September to determine whose candidacy and vision for New York is strongest in a one-on-one race in November."

While Mamdani successfully unified the left in the final weeks before the primary – aided by endorsements from progressive heavyweights Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont – his Democratic rivals remain anything but united.

"I think Andrew and Curtis should rally behind me. I won as mayor. You know, I'm the only one that's in this race right now that has ever won as mayor," Adams said Monday at a news conference.

And in an interview with CNBC, Adams said that in a recent conversation, the former governor asked him to step aside. 

"I said, 'Andrew, are you that level of arrogant? I'm the sitting mayor!'" Adams said of his conversation with Cuomo. "I'm the sitting mayor of New York City when you just lost to Zohran by 12 points."

Adams' poll numbers were sinking even before he was indicted last year on five counts, which accused the mayor of bribery and fraud as part of an alleged "long-running" scheme to personally profit from contacts with foreign officials.

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The mayor made repeated overtures to President Donald Trump, and the Justice Department earlier this year dismissed the corruption charges, so Adams could potentially work with the Trump administration on its illegal immigration crackdown.

"Mayor Adams did not run in the Democratic primary because he knew he was anathema to Democrats and unelectable. Nothing has changed," Azzopardi claimed.

Mamdani surged to a primary victory thanks to an energetic campaign that put a major focus on affordability and New York City's high cost of living.

Mamdani made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged low-propensity voters. He proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City's vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) "tuition-free," freezing rents on municipal housing, offering "free childcare" for children up to age 5, and setting up government-run grocery stores.

And thanks in part to the efforts of a massive grassroots army of volunteers, he rode a wave of support from younger and progressive voters to catapult into first place.

And it's reignited the debate over whether the party's policy, or messaging, was to blame for last November's election setbacks, when Democrats lost control of the White House and Senate, and failed to win back the House majority.

Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Stephanie Taylor told Fox News that Mamdani's "victory shows that a new direction for the Democratic Party is possible – a future of dynamic candidates who appeal to young and working-class voters with a platform that fights for people, not corporations."

Matt Bennett, executive vice president for the moderate Democratic-aligned group the Third Way, acknowledged that Mamdani "focused on affordability," which he said is "great."

Bennett added Mamdani is "young, charismatic, a great communicator. All that is great. We want to see that."

But Bennett told Fox News "the problem is he has the wrong prescription."