‘From Mamdani to El-Sayed: reshaping America’s politics’

This is apropos a letter to the Editor carried by the newspaper on Thursday, Friday and yesterday.

The strongest similarity between the two campaigns is their economic populism. Mamdani built his mayoral campaign around making New York affordable. His proposals included expanded child care, rent protections, affordable housing, improved buses, higher wages and publicly supported grocery initiatives. After taking office, his administration announced child-care funding, housing reforms designed to accelerate affordable construction, stronger action against irresponsible landlords and a grocery discount programme covering essential foods. His administration has also set a long-term goal of producing 200,000 affordable homes over ten years.

These actions demonstrate both the possibilities and limitations of municipal power. A mayor can influence housing enforcement, city services, transportation, child care and business regulation. However, major tax changes, transit financing and many housing policies require cooperation from the New York governor, state legislature and city council. Mamdani is therefore discovering that winning an election is different from converting every campaign promise into law.

El-Sayed’s agenda is similarly focused on affordability but operates at the federal level. His stated priorities include removing private money from politics, reducing household costs and passing Medicare for All. He also supports affordable or free child care, stronger taxation of billionaires, labour rights and an end to American military assistance for Israel. As a senator, however, El-Sayed would not possess the direct executive authority available to a mayor. He could introduce legislation, vote on federal budgets, question administration officials, confirm judges and executive nominees, and use Senate committees to investigate healthcare companies, military expenditure and corporate power. But Medicare for All or sweeping campaign-finance reform would require support from the House of Representatives, a Senate majority and the president. His success would consequently depend on coalition-building, negotiation and the balance of power in Washington.

Qamar Bashir

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026