Ari’s Angle: Gen Z progressives and the Democratic Party

Let’s talk about Gen-Z and the Democratic Party.

Some of you reading this may recognize the name David Hogg. If you don’t, or can remember his name but not the reason why, David Hogg is a Parkland survivor who went on to lead action in March For Our Lives and was elected Vice Chair of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in early 2025. The latter of his accomplishments caught him in a controversy after he announced that his organization, Leaders We Deserve, intends to spend energy, time and resources into challenging incumbents in 2026.

Now, the incumbents he referred to were in 12 “safe districts,” meaning they were not toss up races or seats that could be snatched by the GOP. Regardless of the fact, Hogg’s plan put a bad taste in a lot of party leaders and elected officials’ mouths. The chair of the DNC, Ken Martin, expressed his opposition to Hogg’s plan publicly and is even attempting to change policies in the DNC to ensure officials cannot support efforts to primary incumbents. An anonymous DNC member went as far as to dismiss Hogg using his age, stating he didn’t have as much “experience” as Martin and most elected DNC officials. 

Then, it was announced publicly that the DNC Vice Chair elections had to be redone due to a faulty procedure. According to the Hill, this challenge was brought up “before Hogg announced he would be wading into Democratic primaries.” Hogg then announced that he would drop out of the race to focus on Leaders We Deserve.

We are seeing a similar smackdown of a young, progressive in the New York City mayoral race. Zohran Mamdani, a New York Assemblyman, is the presumed winner of the Democratic primary against former disgraced New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and a slate of other local and state leaders. Mamdani’s campaign stands out for several reasons, including the fact that he and another mayoral candidate, Brad Lander, cross-endorsed each other. They told Stephen Colbert on the “Late Show” that their decision comes from a mutual agreement that Andrew Cuomo should not be near city hall. 

Once Mamdani’s campaign started kicking up steam, mainstream news outlets and Democratic megadonors wasted no time to voice their disdain for the state Assemblyman. The New York Times Editorial Board, for example, published a piece where they questioned Mamdani’s qualifications to run the city and said he “is running on an agenda uniquely unsuited to the city’s challenges” and that he “minimizes the importance of policing.” This is why Mamdani’s win shocked a large amount of the establishment—after all, a few months ago he trailed 30 points behind Cuomo. 

Before Mamdani’s win, some of the most wealthy donors to Democratic campaigns spoke out against him. According to Common Dreams, John Catsimatidis and Bill Ackman, two of the most wealthy New Yorkers, told The Free Press that if Mamdani is elected, a large portion of billionaires will leave the city. 

This alleged mass exodus is assumingly in response to Mamdani’s proposed tax policy, which would raise the tax burden for New Yorkers that make more than $1 million a year. It’s no surprise then that billionaires like Bill Ackman are funneling tens of millions of dollars into a Super PAC that funds Andrew Cuomo’s campaign. 

While some have characterized this race as the latest example of the battle between the Democratic establishment and progressives, which I think is an appropriate characterization, it’s also important to highlight what other news outlets have been recently admitting: whether or not establishment Democrats will back Mamdani in the November election will likely determine the relationship Gen Z progressives have with the Democratic Party.

Mamdani’s campaign is largely supported by young people, with 60% of voters under 35 ranking Mamdani first in a survey compared to 10% for Cuomo. He also has a largely progressive platform that is supported by politicians such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, both national Congress members who gave official endorsements. In addition, his social media pages are plastered with photos and videos of him talking and canvassing with young progressive Gen Zers. As I scrolled Instagram and TikTok over the past month, my pages were flooded with my peers and NYC influencers, usually Gen Z, endorsing Mamdani and encouraging others to not rank Cuomo.

The crucial decision that Democratic leaders need to make is whether or not to support Mamdani’s candidacy in the general election. Already, we are seeing wealthy businessmen meet with incumbent Eric Adams—assumingly to weigh his endorsement as an independent candidate in November. This is extremely troubling because of NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ pending criminal investigation that was abruptly dropped by the Trump administration, which some believe to make Eric Adams more “beholden” to President Trump.

Both Hogg and Mamdani’s platforms show that young progressives are tired of the status quo in the national party and want to elect fresh blood at all levels of government. Some of the party leadership have chosen to dismiss this hunger for new, progressive faces, but I believe that’s a grave mistake. While I and many others understand the value of experience and wisdom from age, the reality is that Chuck Schumer and Gavin Newsom-type Democrats do not bode well with young progressives. 

Yes, Chuck Schumer has led the Senate Democrats well for the past decade and secured crucial wins for the American people during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it’s no surprise that his perception of life is different than a 18-24 year old that is taking tens of thousands of dollars worth of loans out to pay for college. And yes, Gov. Gavin Newsom has done an extraordinary job of standing up to President Trump’s assault on L.A. protestors, but he has also thrown trans kids under the bus. The party cannot afford to elect a leader who is willing to compromise the wellbeing of marginalized communities.

As a Gen Zer, I recognize my biases and how they affect my framing, but I also know how many times I have had older folks approach me and ask why more people who look like me aren’t involved. This is why. When we are excited about a progressive, young candidate or leader, incumbent Democrats clinching to power and billionaires who are threatened by an actual system that holds them accountable (rather than a fun “eat the rich” slogan they can sport when it is convenient for them) kick up a fuss and funnel millions of dollars into smear campaigns that misrepresent those candidates. 

If national Democratic organizers and leaders want Gen Z to show up, they need to give us a seat at the table, not a highchair. Some may argue that we don’t have enough leadership experience or knowledge, but shutting us out of the rooms where we could gain both won’t help. And don’t get me wrong, I understand. Most of the elected officials and leaders in power are Baby Boomers or older Gen Xers who are just following the footsteps of their predecessors, who I’m sure kept them out of these rooms too. But they have the ability to stop this opportunity gap. 

Ultimately, national Democratic leaders and elected officials should stop saying “you need to wait your turn like I did,” and instead give us a hand and say, “let’s pave the way together.”

This is the 4th edition of Ari’s Angle, a summer of 2025 opinion series written by guest columnist Ariona Cook, shared June 2025. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. The cover image and image below are found at the Pexels website, https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-street-freedom-black-6257691/ Articles referenced includes those from The Hill, AP News, NBC News, CBS News, NYT, the Guardian, Common Dreams and PBS.