Democrats Get Dose Of Bad News Following Mamdani’s Win In NYC

Democrats spent much of this week celebrating Zohran Mamdani’s sweeping victory in the New York City mayoral race — but the party’s internal problems quickly resurfaced with the release of new polling data on Friday.

While a handful of off-cycle wins gave Democrats a temporary morale boost and the illusion of momentum, the latest survey underscores a deeper issue that party strategists have yet to solve: Democrats still don’t know who is leading them.

According to Politico, a nationwide burst of progressive enthusiasm has not translated into a clear standard-bearer. The Democratic Party remains fractured, directionless, and without a defining message — a notable contrast to the Republican Party, where President Donald J. Trump, now in his second term, maintains overwhelming leadership support.

A Politico–Public First poll conducted in the final stretch of the election asked 2024 Kamala Harris voters a simple open-ended question: Who is the leader of the Democratic Party? The responses were telling:

• “Ugh, no one.” – 26-year-old white woman in Arizona who voted for Harris
• “Not sure who it is now, that is kind of the problem.” – 50-year-old white woman in California who voted for Harris
• “I do not believe there is a leader right now.” – 49-year-old white man in Maryland who voted for Harris

The most common response was some version of “I don’t know,” which accounted for over 21% of all answers. Another 11% said “nobody,” further highlighting the vacuum at the top.

Kamala Harris — the former vice president and Democrats’ 2024 nominee — performed the strongest in the survey, yet only 16% of her own voters see her as the party’s leader. That figure remains remarkably weak given her national name recognition, her ongoing book tour, and her presumed interest in running again in 2028.

California Governor Gavin Newsom placed a distant second, cited by just 6%.

Democratic strategist Lauren Harper Pope acknowledged the confusion within her own ranks, telling Politico: “This is where we are, guys.” She added that the party is splintered “factionally and ideologically,” and openly admitted: “I couldn’t tell you who the leader of the Democratic Party is, either, and I work in Democratic politics.”

Democrats saw regional wins this week in Virginia, New Jersey, California, and a handful of down-ballot races in traditionally blue states — enough to raise spirits, but not enough to solve the central identity crisis. Even the shock victory of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in New York — which triggered concern among Republicans nationally — did nothing to unify the party’s internal factions.

Lanae Erickson of the center-left group Third Way told Politico the party feels like it is regaining momentum. “It felt like we’re getting our footing back, in terms of politics,” she said.

But Erickson also conceded the larger problem: “That has not yet translated to people seeing clearly who they think is pointing the direction of the party.”

Meanwhile, Republicans display a level of unity that Democrats currently lack. 81% of Trump’s 2024 voters describe President Donald J. Trump as the clear leader of the GOP. Only 6% were unsure — and just 2% said there is no leader.

The next-most mentioned names, Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance, scored only single-digit mentions — further reinforcing the reality:
The Republican Party has a leader. The Democratic Party does not.