Socialist Mamdani's rise as billionaires influence U.S. democracy

Despite the rise of Socialist Zohran Mamdani in the heart of Capitalism, billionaires generate a great influence in the U.S governed and it democratic system

Serwan Zangana | Exclusive to iKurd.net

Most politicians and lawmakers in the U.S. have been driven by major corporations and billionaires for the purpose of passing legislation that serve their agenda and business interests. It can be observed in the form of lobbying, funding, and campaign contributions.

Elections in America are the most expensive political process as millions of dollars are thrown into both the Democratic and Republican Parties’ candidates’ campaigns.

According to the International Business Times, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris raised $4.7 billion during the 2024 Presidential Election.

The status and popularity of the candidate can determine the endorsements and the amount of donations that are given to the candidate. The political parties often stand behind the strong candidates entering the election process, and the more popularity the candidate gains, the more support they receive from the party.

Prior to elections, each political party begins to focus on its target state, city, and the voters’ beliefs, concerns, and their weaknesses and strengths. Generally, the voters’ concerns and issues do not remain the same in every election.

The politicians have to understand the voters’ mindset in order to launch the election campaign and form emotional bonds with the majority of the voters. Also, considering the voters’ historical affiliation with a specific political party can broaden a broader view for the candidate and how to aim at the target group.

However, according to the Pew Research Center, voters who are more politically engaged are less likely to switch their political party affiliation. Sixty-three percent of registered Democratic voters and sixty-one percent of registered Republican voters who identified themselves as consistent loyalists of the political parties said that they follow politics regularly.

Evidently, race and gender play a significant role in the elections. By creating a strategy to connect with diverse groups, the political party can capture the majority of their votes. The Democrats in the U.S. have successfully been able to sway minorities and women emotionally and politically and capture their votes in every election with no struggle.

In the 2024 Virginia State Elections, the majority of Black voters continued to embrace the Democratic Party and voted for all the state’s candidates. A poll conducted by Virginia State University on November 3, one day before the elections, showed that 94.9% of Blacks supported Abigail Spanberger for Governor, 95.7% supported Ghazala Hashmi for Lieutenant Governor, and 93.2% supported Jay Jones for Attorney General.

The Republicans are walking on a gravel path in reaching and connecting with minority groups in America. Regardless of the increase in Black voters for President Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential Election, former Vice President Kamala Harris still received a higher number of their votes.

According to the Pew Research Center, Black voters for Trump increased from 8% in 2020 to 15% in 2024, but in fact, former Vice President Kamala Harris remained the strongest hope as she received 83% of Black voters’ votes.

Muslims are also becoming more significant in elections as the number of Muslims winning and heading to public office on the local, state, and federal levels is increasing. And despite the historical shift from former Vice President and Democratic candidate Harris for President in the 2024 elections, in which a large group of Muslims and Arab Americans in the State of Michigan endorsed then-candidate Trump as a result of former President Biden’s unwavering support for Israel in its war against the Hamas organization, the majority of Muslims remained the Democratic Party’s loyalists.

According to the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), which provides research about American Muslims, a poll conducted on American Muslims in 2025 and managed by NORC at the University of Chicago revealed that in the 2024 Presidential Election, 50% of Muslims voted for Harris, 31% for Trump, and 12% for the Green Party’s candidate Jill Stein.

Apparently, the Democratic Party has created a haven for American minorities as they perceive it as the defender of their civil rights. However, despite the differing views between certain minority and religious groups and the Democratic Party on specific matters, such as sexual orientation, gender identity, and traditional family lifestyles, the results of every election show entrenched Democrats in the towns, cities, and states with large Black, Hispanic, and other minorities, including Jews, Muslims, and the Middle Eastern population in general.

Furthermore, while billionaires and major corporations and industries are fueling the political parties in America and influencing the elections with ample funds, the lawmakers’ role is to legislate such influences to maintain the existing bridge between the U.S. government and the mega-billionaires.

US President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk watch the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket in Brownsville, Texas, US, November 19, 2024. Photo: Pool/via Reuters

For instance, in 2024, the CEO of Tesla, X, and SpaceX, Elon Musk, backed Trump in the Presidential campaign and other Republican candidates with $277 million (Business Insider).

Bill Gates, in 2024, donated $50 million to a non-profit organization supporting Harris in the 2024 Presidential campaign (The New York Times). Adding to the list, billionaire Michael Bloomberg also donated $50 million to Harris’s presidential campaign in 2024 (Forbes).

Moreover, two billionaires, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, backed Trump and the Republicans and funded Trump’s inauguration (NPR News).

The relationship between billionaires and political parties is complicated with possibilities of fluctuation in such a relationship as it is based on business interests and benefits. Obviously, the billionaires are the biggest profiteers as they benefit disproportionately from U.S. policies under each administration. Apparently, the U.S. government is showing a tendency toward cronyism.

Desperation contributed to irrational voting for Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani becomes New York City’s first Muslim mayor, November 4, 2025. Photo: Mamdani’s X/Enhanced by iKurd.net

In a state of desperation, people seek a rescue, and the election process in a democratic society is seemingly the tool for such a rescue. Electing the Muslim Socialist, Zohran Mamdani, for Mayor of New York City was the result of people’s hopelessness in the city.

As the lifestyle of the New Yorkers is declining with high costs of living, especially the increase in housing costs that is much faster than the increase in income, this indeed created an affordability crisis.

Mamdani’s message to the people of New York is wishful thinking, which boosted his campaign and handed him the New York mayoral election victory. It is the same futile message of socialism that has never been able to survive on the ground of reality.

However, Mamdani’s socialist ideology attracted majority Democratic voters as his opposition to billionaires resonated nationwide. “I don’t think that we should have billionaires,” Mamdani said.

In contrast, two billionaires, Elizabeth Simons and Tom Preston-Werner, donated to New Yorkers for Lower Costs, a group that backed Zohran Mamdani’s campaign. Simons donated $250,000 and Preston-Werner $20,000 (Newsweek).

Mamdani came as a seasonal fever in a city where its citizens struggle under the high cost of living. According to the United Way, New York City, from 2020 until 2023, the cost of living for a family of four has increased 131% while the median earnings have only increased 71%.

However, the rise of the population, the cost of living, and the failed policies in solving New York City’s problems until now contributed to the rise of the Socialist Mamdani in the heart of the center of capitalism. But after all, billionaires generate great influence in the U.S. government and its democratic system.

Serwan Zangana, a contributing writer for iKurd.net, lives in Virginia, U.S. He serves as a correction officer.

The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of iKurd.net or its editorial team.