California’s politics drifts rightward while New York’s leans left

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An otherwise unknown 33-year-old state legislator finished first in New York City’s mayoral primary last month, adding another shock to the Democratic Party’s eight months of internal strife, accusations, and introspection following Donald Trump’s victory and Kamala Harris’ defeat in last year’s presidential contest.

Numerous Democratic officials have come to the conclusion that Trump’s victory stemmed from their party’s perception of serving the interests of college-educated coastal elitists rather than common problems that blue-collar families face, such immigration, crime, and inflation.

Many came to the conclusion that shifting somewhat to the right, downplaying problems like climate change, and focusing more on everyday issues is the solution.

But Zohran Mamdani’s unexpected primary victory in New York, where he emerged as the front-runner to become the mayor of the country’s biggest city, adds a new twist to the Democratic post-election debate.

In addition to highlighting the expense of living and other concerns facing the working class, Mamdani pledged to improve living conditions for New Yorkers if elected. In order to lower the cost of food, he has pushed for minimum wage rises, rent freezes, and the opening of the city’s own grocery stores.

A continent away in California, a one-party state where the dominant Democrats are frequently split along ideological lines, putting Mamdani-like progressives against business-oriented moderates, Mamdani’s rise as a new party leader with a marked left-of-center candidacy resonates.

Even in the bluest part of a deep-blue state, the San Francisco Bay Area, progressives have been falling behind the mods.One sign of that tendency is the recent election of Daniel Lurie as mayor of San Francisco, who was elected on promises to reduce street crime and balance the city’s budget, which is beset by deficits. Another is the recent recall or rejection of numerous progressive officeholders in the Bay Area.

As the political website Politico recently pointed out, leftists across were captivated by Zohran Mamdani’s ascent in New York. However, it serves as a depressing reminder to San Francisco activists of how far they have fallen in this once-stronghold of progressive.

With the witty example of Gov. Gavin Newsoma’s political arc, the dispute is also clearly seen at the state Capitol.

The former mayor of San Francisco, Newsom, steered his political canoe to the left when running for governor in 2018, supporting lefty icons like single-payer health care.

But over the course of the following six years, Newsom’s policies gradually shifted to the right, pushing for harsher measures against homeless camps, sending Highway Patrol police to combat street violence, and, most recently, banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports.

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In order to reduce a state budget deficit this year, Newsom even abandoned his support for single-payer health care in favor of expanding coverage under the state’s Medi-Cal program.

Advocates of the progressive agenda discovered that the Legislature grew less receptive when Newsom separated himself from it, possibly in an effort to increase his chances of winning the presidency in 2028. Bills with progressive agendas frequently pass one legislative chamber but fail in the other, nearly always without a formal vote.

The results of last year’s election also showed that, while being a blue state, California is far from adopting the democratic socialist agenda.In addition to Trump’s unexpected victory over Kamala Harris in California’s presidential election, voters approved Proposition 36, an anti-crime law that Newsom and other Democratic leaders viewed as a step backward from criminal justice improvements.

If nothing else, this week’s passing of two bills supported by Newsom to amend the California Environmental Quality Act over the protests of powerful environmental organizations was another sign that California politics are progressively moving to the right.

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