The Left’s Favorite Mayoral Candidate Could Turn America’s Flagship City Into Cuba

The left has a vision for New York City (NYC) copied straight from socialist Cuba’s playbook. If it comes to fruition, it’ll bring America’s flagship city one step closer to collapse. 

New York Assemblyman Zohran Kwame Mamdani, born in Uganda, is a card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). That’s the same organization whose NYC chapter ignited an internal firestorm by saying they “reject” the murder of two Israeli embassy staffers. DSA members allegedly called the statement “horrific,” “hurtful” and “irresponsible” in internal message boards, according to the Free Press. 

In a slick new campaign video, Mamdani promises to “freeze the rent for every rent stabilized tenant” in New York City.

Our new ad is now live.

Freeze the rent. pic.twitter.com/yFwVgJuGEC

— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) May 29, 2025

The video features an array of New Yorkers happily exclaiming their shock at Mamdani’s proposal. Indeed, the policy is incredibly popular among the city’s residents. 78% of likely voters in New York City strongly or somewhat support so-called “rent freezes” on rent-stabilized apartments, according to a poll from Data for Progress, a progressive think tank. 

Turns out, voters like it when you promise them free stuff. That’s been the basic strategy of the Democrat Party for many years. Free education, free healthcare, free housing. Of course, there’s no such thing. But politicians don’t mind kicking the can over to taxpayers. (RELATED: Liberals Desperately Looking For Solution To Problem They Created)

One only has to look at Cuba to understand where policies like Mamdani’s lead. You cannot be a landlord in Cuba. Fidel Castro’s government outlawed the practice with the Urban Reform Law of 1960. But housing construction by the state has been slow relative to population growth, leaving many residents condemned to live in dilapidated and literally rotting apartments. 

Havana, Cuba’s capital, saw 3,856 partial or total building collapses between 2000 and 2013, according to USA Today, excluding 2010 and 2011 when no records were maintained. Who knows why those years were lost — maybe the record keeping building collapsed, too. These policies have a human cost. USA Today profiled Cubans living in fear of building collapse. One man claimed “he and his family live ‘like scared dogs’ in a crumbling building.” He elaborated, saying “it makes you feel like going and living under a bridge.”

The NYC chapter of the DSA has offered their full-throated endorsement of Mamdani, championing him in the race against incumbent Eric Adams. 

“Zohran says it’s time to stand up for trans rights,” one X post reads. 

Zohran says it’s time to stand up for trans rights. Are you with us? Send a letter to your representatives telling them to demand action on justice for the trans community. pic.twitter.com/JgUVNf9iif

— NYC-DSA 🌹 (@nycDSA) May 23, 2025

“Adams is bending the knee to Trump and [Tom] Homan,” another is captioned, showing footage of Zohran seemingly being pushed back by law enforcement. “Zohran’s busy telling ICE to get the hell out of NYC. Choose your fighter.”

Frankly, Adams isn’t an ideal candidate either. His record on illegal migration is inconsistent at best and transparently hypocritical at worst. Good luck, New Yorkers – whoever wins, you’ll need it.

Follow Natalie Sandoval on X: @NatalieIrene03