New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday evening joined the call for Democrats in Congress to ensure they deliver on the progressive “mandate” delivered by voters across the US in Tuesday’s midterm elections, declaring that “it is not enough to simply win power.”

“We must use it,” said the mayor. “And the American people will know the difference between hollow words and hard work.”

The democratic socialist, who has a 69% favorability rating among New Yorkers, according to a recent Siena poll, commented on the historic election results in a video posted on social media, saying, “It’s morning again in America.”

Like other progressives on Wednesday, the mayor suggested that with their new majorities in the US House and Senate, Democrats must deliver major legislative action to materially improve Americans’ lives—or risk rapidly losing voters’ confidence and the next elections.

“People are tired of being told there isn’t enough to go around while Elon Musk becomes the world’s first trillionaire,” said the mayor, an advocate for Medicare for All, universal childcare, and raising taxes on the country’s richest people to pay for social services that would benefit all households. “They are tired of being told to ask for little, and expect even less. And last night, the people stood up.”

It’s morning again in America. https://t.co/zywVt0FW46
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 4, 2026

Mamdani also appeared on NBC News with anchor Kristen Welker, who asserted that “with the exception of Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, nearly all of the Democrats’ biggest statewide victories were more moderate candidates.”

Welker did not provide examples to back up the claim, and neglected to mention two key statewide races in which progressive leader Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) endorsed and campaigned with successful left-wing candidates: Sens.-elect Peggy Flanagan (D-Minn.) and Troy Jackson (D-Maine).

Beyond that, Mamdani emphasized that regardless of whether Tuesday’s victories were by candidates who identified themselves as progressives or received endorsements from Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and other top left-wing leaders who push aggressively for economic justice, they sent a clear message about what voters across the country want from Congress.

“When we’re thinking about James Talarico, we’re talking about someone who campaigned on universal pre-K. When we’re talking about Annie Andrews, we’re talking about somebody who campaigned on an end to endless wars. When we’re talking about Keisha Lance Bottoms, we’re talking about somebody who campaigned on streamlining the construction of affordable housing,” said Mamdani, referring to the Democratic senators-elect in Texas and South Carolina and the governor-elect in Georgia.

“Those are all hallmarks of what progressive governance also looks like in this country, and I think it’s critically important that when we look at these victories, no matter where they are across the United States, that we understand the unity of purpose that comes out of it,” said Mamdani.

Zohran explains how progressives have a MANDATE after last night’s election https://t.co/1KGcLd5A6V
— Secular Talk (KyleKulinskiShow@bsky.social) (@KyleKulinski) November 5, 2026

Justice Democrats co-founder Saikat Chakrabarti suggested that the corporate media must look past whether candidates called themselves “progressives” or “moderates.”

“It’s about the promises these campaigns made,” said Chakrabarti. “They promised to end endless wars, take on corporate power, make healthcare available to all. They’ll be held accountable to those promises, and if Democrats don’t deliver, we’ll lose.”

In another interview with MeidasTouch, Mamdani added that the election results had provided Democrats with an “opportunity to understand that there is only one majority in this country, and that’s the working class.”

“Whether you’re a working-class American who’s living in California, whether you’re living in Minnesota, whether you’re living in Texas or South Carolina,” said the mayor, “you deserve dignity that you can actually measure and feel in your life.”

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