Democratic socialist candidate for NYC mayor a 'gift to Republican Party,' GOP lawmaker says

"Now, what I think happened here is what you saw with Clinton, Obama-flashback to that primary, is that the establishment was just trying to roll over and get what they want and push a unpopular person, such as Cuomo, back into politics, and they just rejected it. They keep running this same kind of playbook, and I think that's what it has more to do with," Moore continued.

"I think that there was an effective and aggressive no-to-Cuomo campaign, which opened for whoever was in that primary to find their lane. And Mamdani was the one who found his lane and is now the Democratic nominee. Democrats, when people win our primaries, support them, help him govern. Don't turn your back on them," she said.

Mamdani, whose campaign galvanized supporters on the ground and on social media, has proposed what conservatives deem radical ideas, like government-run grocery stores, free bus service, tuition-free city universities, rent freezes and free childcare, among others. 

"No, I have many critiques of capitalism," he said in response to host Erin Burnett's question about whether he liked it.

"And I think, ultimately, the definition for me of why I call myself a democratic socialist is the words of Dr. [Martin Luther] King decades ago. He said, 'call it democracy, call it democratic socialism.' There must be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children in this country," he said. "And that's what I'm focused on is dignity and taking on income inequality. And for too long, politicians have pretended that we're spectators to that crisis of affordability. We're actually actors, and we have the choice to exacerbate it, like Mayor [Eric] Adams has done, or to respond to it and resolve it like I'm planning to do."