Zohran Mamdani’s New York: prostitution, crime and socialism

Zohran Mamdani’s surprise win in the race to be the next mayor of New York City is not just a local upset – it’s the moment the progressive fringe officially took the keys from the Democratic establishment. The 33-year-old socialist unexpectedly seized the most first-choice votes in New York’s Democratic mayoral primary. And if symbolism mattered more than substance, he would already be crowned mayor of America’s largest city.

For years, the Democratic machine in New York managed to contain its most radical flank with centrist figures like Eric Adams and, before him, Michael Bloomberg. But that firewall has crumbled. Mamdani, backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, the Working Families Party, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is ushering in a new era – one that reads more like a utopian manifesto than a functioning blueprint for the nation’s largest metropolis.

Under Zohran’s New York, we’re looking at government-owned grocery stores, free public transit and permanent political handcuffs on the NYPD. Prostitution? He’s on record supporting full decriminalization. At this point, it wouldn’t be surprising if the next proposal is for city-run brothels.

Some may argue these are bold, visionary policies. But history tells a different story. When governments take over basic market functions – like grocery stores – it rarely ends with stocked shelves and smiling citizens. Look no further than Venezuela, where state-run food distribution led not to equity but to rationing, shortages, and corruption. The idea that New York City, already struggling with record-high costs of living and regulatory overreach, would somehow succeed where socialist regimes have failed is either delusional or deeply cynical.

Then there’s the push to politically neuter the NYPD. We’ve seen this before, too. In the wake of the George Floyd protests, several cities drastically cut or restricted their police departments. The result? Crime spikes from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. Even New York itself saw shootings and violent crimes rise sharply after the city council slashed police funding and disbanded plainclothes anti-crime units. That era ended only when Eric Adams – himself a former cop – restored some semblance of law-and-order rhetoric.

And what about prostitution? Progressive leaders love to wrap the issue in words like “workers’ rights” and “bodily autonomy,” but in practice, decriminalization has often meant open-air sex markets, human trafficking and narcotics. In neighborhoods like East New York and Roosevelt in Queens, residents have witnessed the devastating effects firsthand. When Eric Adams flirted with so-called “red-light district” proposals, communities pushed back – hard. Not because they were prudish, but because they lived with the consequences: women and girls being trafficked, addicts roaming the streets and entire neighborhoods sliding into chaos.

As this article is being written, federal and state authorities are still trying to dismantle trafficking rings that flourished under lax enforcement. It turns out utopian fantasies are fun on paper but dangerous in practice. A city that can’t keep its trains running on time wants to run brothels and grocery chains. What could go wrong?

Make no mistake, Zohran Mamdani is more than a man. He’s a symbol. A symbol of where the Democratic Party is going, not just in New York, but nationally. The Clinton-era centrism is dead. This isn’t even Barack Obama’s party anymore. It’s AOC’s. It’s Ilhan Omar’s. And now, it’s Mamdani’s.

That should concern every voter, not just in New York, but across the country. Because cities like New York and San Francisco have always served as political laboratories for the American left. What happens in Queens doesn’t stay in Queens – it gets exported to classrooms, courtrooms and congressional campaigns.

Ironically, Mamdani’s victory might end up being a gift to Republicans – if they’re paying attention. The Democratic Party in cities like New York and California is no longer fighting for working-class families. It’s pushing boutique socialism for college-educated activists. It’s preaching climate justice while presiding over crumbling public housing. It’s legalizing street prostitution while moms are afraid to take their kids to the park.

At some point, residents wake up. That point came in San Francisco when voters recalled progressive DA Chesa Boudin. It could come in New York, too. After the utopian movie ends, people want reality – and stability – back.

So, let Mamdani have his moment. Let the headlines gush. Let the hashtags trend. But don’t forget: every revolution eventually has to govern. And when the slogans fade and the city’s problems remain – or worse, grow – voters may remember that competence beats ideology. New York has suffered under Democratic policies for decades. With the socialists now fully in charge, it’s about to suffer even more.

But maybe, just maybe, that suffering will lead to something rare in New York politics: change. It’s always darkest before the dawn.