By Socialist Horizon
Zohran Mamdani’s primary victory and likely election as New York City Mayor this November is an expression of the political aspirations of hundreds of thousands of people not just in New York City, but across the U.S.
Mamdani’s open rejection of Zionism and denunciation of Israel’s genocide; his calls for free public transit, expanded social welfare, and for increased taxes on billionaires have struck a chord with people battered by political neoliberalism, right-wing nationalism, state-sponsored terrorism and xenophobia, a live-streamed Palestinian holocaust, Trumpism, and attacks on the lives of working people.
Mamdani would also be the first South Asian, first Muslim, and first openly declared Socialist to govern New York City. Each of these would signify potential for expanded opposition to the right-wing status quo. Mamdani has also mobilized a broad swath of activists, many from working-class and immigrant communities in New York City, as well as members of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) who propelled his campaign.
Yet as many Leftists have pointed out, Mamdani’s candidacy and potential victory come with enormous limitations and pitfalls.
The dead end of the Democratic Party
Mamdani is running as a Democrat, which is a pro-capitalist and pro-imperialist party. It is the party that orchestrated genocide in Palestine.
Since his primary victory, he has been walking back positions on Palestine, saying he will discourage people from using the phrase “global intifada.” He has reversed entirely his 2020 call to abolish the police. He has hired Democratic Party insiders like Jeffrey Lerner to advise his campaign meaning he is likely to move further away from the leftist positions he campaigned on. He has held private meetings with major corporate sponsors, seeking their endorsement, and promising economic policies that comport with the maintenance of the ruling class status quo.
We have seen this playbook before in the campaigns of Democratic Socialists like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The DSA’s so-called “dirty break strategy” of running candidates inside the Democratic Party to build capacity for a left-wing break with the party has not come to pass, and will not, even if Mamdani wins. Instead, the DSA is trying to position itself as the new Left wing of the Democratic Party, as the party has moved so far to the political right in recent years it no longer pretends to be on the Left. Since the Democratic Party despises socialists more than the Republicans, and has abandoned any pretense of being a Left party in any way, it would rather declare war on Mamdani (and other aspiring Democratic Socialist candidates) than embrace him.
We have also seen serious leftists have principled debates about supporting Mamdani, some arguing to participate in his campaign, others deciding to stay out while continuing to help build working-class organizations and anti-oppression spaces independent of the Democratic Party.
We believe this debate is healthy and important as we assess how to build a new socialist moment in the U.S. and beat back and defeat Trump. To that end, Socialist Horizon argues that the only winning alternative to Zohran Mamdani is to build a new revolutionary socialist party.
Crisis and struggle
Since the financial meltdown of 2008-2009, genuine mass protest movements against the capitalist status quo have asked for far more than either the Democratic Party, left reformists like the DSA, or small, scattered socialist organizations have been able to provide.
The Occupy Wall Street movement’s demands for massive redistribution of wealth from the 1% to establish a social wage; the Black Lives Matter movement’s most radical demands to defund and abolish the police; and the Palestinian encampment movement’s call to end the Israeli occupation and genocide; have all been betrayed or short-changed by both the Democratic Party and left reformists.
Similarly, people are now exiting the Democratic Party in droves. Some are registering as Republicans, others as independents, and others simply sitting out politics altogether—as we saw in the 2024 election. Clearly, there are hundreds of thousands of people who are disillusioned and seeking a real left-wing political alternative. Sadly, other people are moving to the right and far right out of desperation. They are being lured by Trumpism’s phony populism, and the delusional belief that billionaire racists and far-right bigots and reactionaries are going to somehow improve their deteriorating conditions.
Meanwhile, popular interest in real socialist politics continues to rise. Polls show that people in the U.S. routinely show nearly equal approval for socialism as for capitalism. Most people in the U.S. oppose the on-going genocide sponsored by both Democrats and Republicans. Both Trump and the Democratic Party are unpopular.
We believe that what has been missing from this vital constellation of events is a revolutionary party that matches and articulates the aspirations of the people who support candidates like Mamdani but also yearn for much more. Providing that “much more” is Socialist Horizon’s project.
Since we began our own process of political regroupment of revolutionaries into a new organization, we have consistently seen the primary reason for people joining is to build a revolutionary socialist party that seeks the full emancipation of the working-class—not the reforming of capitalism.
Many have been through earlier social movements like Occupy, Black Lives Matter, or the Palestinian encampment. Others come from other socialist groups like the DSA. The common denominator is that none of those groups or movements have been able to provide a lasting, durable, sustainable political structure for carrying out their political aspirations.
Build the socialist party to end capitalism
We believe that the revolutionary socialist party we seek to build will fill that void.
We also believe that the principles upon which our political regroupment is taking place provides the framework for building a durable and successful revolutionary socialist party.
We adhere to the Marxist principle that the emancipation of the working-class is the task of the working-class. No one is coming to save us, whether it is the Democratic Party establishment, or social reformers. We must have a long-term and permanent revolutionary party, and that will take time to build.
We also insist on complete class independence. We know that the working-class majority in the U.S. already constitutes the necessary base for a mass party. We do not think that the focus of the revolutionary socialist left is to build new independent working-class spaces. They already exist. We need a revolutionary party to offer people a space to build and lead a party committed to fighting and ending capitalism.
Opposition to imperialism in all of its forms is absolute and will be crucial to building a successful international revolutionary socialist party in the U.S.— inside the heart of the most dangerous and deadly imperialist system in history. We also oppose Russia’s imperialist war against Ukraine, and any U.S.-NATO role in the war. We believe the liberation of Palestine can only come through the end of Israel’s occupation and the construction of a secular, socialist Palestinian state by the Palestinian people. We believe the US empire will fall only with a strong revolutionary socialist party toppling it from within.
Opposition to oppression in all of its forms is fundamental to our opposition to capitalism. We know that if Mamdani wins, it will neither lead to an end of racism and discrimination against people of color and Muslims—nor will it end the genocide in Palestine. While we fight to end all forms of oppression here and now, only with the end of capitalism will we end both. We know that queer and trans liberation depends on ending capitalism itself. There are no shortcuts to ending oppression, there is only the road towards building revolutionary socialism and a party to advance the struggle.
Organizing the fight for socialism is the priority
We also believe that the construction of a new mass revolutionary party in the U.S. is necessary to establish clarity on the role of the revolutionary Left in U.S. elections. As Marxists, we believe that under capitalism elections can be a useful tool for advancing working-class reforms and for building up socialist ideas.
However, the revolutionary left in the U.S. is currently too small and politically insignificant to have influence in elections. The corporate and capitalist character of the two-party system is designed to block and exclude the socialist left, making meaningful electoral intervention practically impossible for revolutionaries. In keeping with our commitment to working class independence and the focus on building socialism from below, we believe that building an independent revolutionary socialist party that actively organizes at the frontlines of the class struggle and that actively supports and leads political struggles within the working class and in social movements is our priority.
Finally, we are committed to the regroupment of a new revolutionary socialist party on the only basis upon which it can succeed: internationally. Our regroupment partners include revolutionary socialist organizations and sections in Argentina, Brazil, Pakistan, Lebanon, and many other countries across continents.
We believe a process of international regroupment is vital to the success of a new revolutionary party in the U.S. for two reasons. First, the historic hostility to building revolutionary socialism in the U.S. from both the state and ruling classes (powerfully exhibited by the Trump administration) means that only with the support of international comrades can this mission succeed.
Second, Stalin’s Russia has taught us that “socialism in one country” can never succeed. Workers of the world must truly unite if we are going to win a sustainable socialism anywhere.
For all these reasons, we believe the construction of a mass revolutionary party in the United States is not only timely, but its time has come.
We invite people from within the U.S. and from all over the world to join us in a two-day conference September 6th and 7th where we will discuss collaboratively and democratically the next steps in our revolutionary regroupment project.
Join with comrades from Socialist Horizon, Firebrand Communists, and the International Socialist League to help us build and grow together.
You can register and learn more about the conference below.
We have nothing to lose but our chains. We have a world to win.
Revolutionary Socialism Conference 2025: Toward a Revolutionary Party
Sat + Sun, Sept 6 + 7 • Virtual
Register at: bit.ly/revsoc2025
The Revolutionary Socialism Conference features panel presentations and discussions on the most critical issues facing revolutionary socialists today.
The development of revolutionary theory and practice is an urgently needed political focus and orientation that is distinct from socialist reformism, the dominant expression on the left.
The conference aims to bring together all who want to discuss revolutionary socialist politics, how to engage with and organize class struggle and socialist activism, and how to actively build socialist organization. We hope to lay the groundwork for coordinated action, communication, and collaboration across the country and beyond.
Organized by Firebrand, Socialist Horizon, and the International Socialist League.
Saturday, Sept 6
12 noon ET — Building Workers’ Power and Socialism from Below
1:30 pm ET — Intifada and Anti-Imperialism from Gaza to Tehran
3:00 pm ET — Confronting the Right’s Attack on Gender: Trans Liberation & Reproductive Justice
4:30 pm ET — Understanding and Fighting Fascism and the Far Right
Sunday, Sept 7
12 noon ET — Building Revolutionary Organization Today
1:30 pm ET — Border Abolition and the Anti-ICE Rebellion
3:00 pm ET — Communist Abolitionism: ACAB includes Capitalism
4:30 pm ET — International Perspectives for Revolutionary Socialism
