By: Jared Evan

The race to determine New York City’s next mayor isn’t the only political showdown that matters this year. A fight is also underway over who will become the next City Council speaker, and the outcome could either strengthen or restrain the radical-left agenda of Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, the New York Post reported.

According to the Post, two council members have emerged as frontrunners to replace Speaker Adrienne Adams in January: Julie Menin of the Upper East Side and Crystal Hudson, who represents Fort Greene. Both are Democrats, of course, because this is New York City — a one-party town where Republicans have no real influence. That reality underscores a larger truth: if Republicans and independents want to stop the radical left, they must register as Democrats and vote in primaries where the real decisions are made.

One source told the Post that Menin could be “a moderating force.” While she is progressive on social issues and even shares endorsements with Mamdani from unions like the Hotel Trades Council, she is regarded as more pragmatic on fiscal matters and has become the quiet favorite of the city’s business community. Hudson, meanwhile, belongs to the council’s progressive caucus, but she also carries establishment backing. She defeated a DSA challenger in 2021 with the endorsement of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The New York Post reported that Mamdani, who is heavily favored in the November general election, has proposed a massive $10 billion agenda that hinges on raising state taxes — an idea Governor Kathy Hochul has repeatedly rejected. Even within City Hall, Mamdani will face resistance from those who see his policies as unaffordable and dangerous. His platform includes creating a $1.1 billion Department of Community Safety to handle mental health calls instead of the NYPD, a move critics say will endanger both civilians and responders.

Ken Frydman, a longtime police union consultant, told the Post: “As soon as a ‘community safety officer’ inevitably gets injured or worse by an emotionally disturbed person doing a job a cop used to do, that policing experiment has failed.” He added that unions and business groups are already calculating which council speaker candidate could serve as a counterweight to a Mamdani administration.

Here’s the bigger picture: the New York Post reported that New York City’s progressive caucus once had a veto-proof majority but lost ground when 15 members abandoned its push to slash the NYPD. Yet even with signs of moderation, the city remains overwhelmingly Democratic. That means independents and Republicans who stick with their labels are effectively sidelined.

If New Yorkers want to prevent Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America from seizing control of City Hall, they must engage where it counts — inside the Democratic primaries. Registering as a Democrat does not mean embracing the left’s ideology; it means gaining the ability to vote for the least extreme option on the ballot. In a one-party city, that is the only path to influence.

The New York Post reported that challenging Menin could create political headaches for Mamdani, since she would be the council’s first female Jewish speaker, a constituency that polls show feels less safe under the prospect of a Mamdani mayoralty. Similarly, Hudson’s standing as a Black woman makes her difficult to oppose directly. These political realities will shape how much of Mamdani’s agenda survives.

But none of this will matter if Republicans and independents continue to cling to losing positions. The GOP is simply irrelevant in New York City.