From Hogg to Mamdani: The Party’s Generational Rift on Display

Why the Democratic Party’s Future Might Not Include the DNC

It’s hard not to look at the state of American politics and scream into a pillow. War abroad, climate collapse at home, billionaires cosplaying as philosophers, and in the middle of it all, the Democratic Party—the supposed opposition—feels like it’s holding a bipartisan bake sale instead of a resistance movement. Sometimes, they feel less like the antidote and more like the enabler. And yet, amid the deep sighs and group chats filled with memes of Pelosi clapping, I also see bright spots: bold, progressive Democrats who genuinely want to change things. It makes me wonder—how did we get two Democratic Parties? And when did the split become so obvious?

Exhibit A: David Hogg vs. the DNC.
Exhibit B: Zohran Mamdani vs. the Cuomo Comeback Tour.

Let’s start with Hogg. Yes, that David Hogg—the Parkland survivor turned activist, turned youth leader, turned persona non grata at the DNC. This week, the headlines hit like a slap from your centrist uncle: Hogg Out at the DNC. And while I have more than a few jokes lined up, what really stands out is the reason behind his exit.

It wasn’t because Hogg flamed out or said something outrageous. It was because he dared to say the quiet part out loud: Maybe, just maybe, a party that wants to win the future shouldn’t be entirely led by people who remember Watergate like it was last month. He called out the ineffective incumbents and gerontocracy—aka, the polite term for the fact that many of our top Democratic leaders are closer to needing Social Security than securing democracy. Whether Hogg's stance was born from idealism or a very reasonable observation that a party of 80-year-olds may struggle to inspire Gen Z and Millennials is beside the point. The reaction from party leadership was swift and cold. He was shown the door.

This isn’t a new trick from the DNC. If the Democratic establishment were a group project, they'd be the kid who shows up late, criticizes the one person actually doing the work, and then still insists on putting their name first on the PowerPoint. They kneecapped Bernie (twice), crushed momentum behind progressive policy goals, and have consistently treated youthful energy like an inconvenient allergy.

But here's the twist: the DNC isn’t the whole party. And thank every available deity for that.

Because if you look to New York City, you’ll see the other Democratic Party—the one with a pulse.

In what might be the most unexpectedly spicy primary since Cynthia Nixon vs. the MTA, the NYC Democratic mayoral race is shaping up to be a generational showdown between… wait for it… Andrew Cuomo (yes, that Cuomo) and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, a proud Democratic Socialist with the kind of policy ideas that would give the DNC heart palpitations.

Let’s pause for a second: Andrew Cuomo, a man who was once dubbed “America’s Governor” before being forcefully de-throned amid a storm of sexual harassment allegations and a nursing home COVID-19 scandal, is attempting a full-blown political resurrection. Because of course he is. Nothing says “democracy in decline” like a disgraced man with high name recognition polling well because people “remember him from TV.”

Then there’s Zohran Mamdani. A fresh face with actual ideas. Ideas like raising taxes on the rich to fund free bus service. Ideas like freezing rent and standing up to predatory landlords. Ideas like universal healthcare—not the kind that sends you a $6,000 surprise bill because you sneezed during a consultation, but real, publicly funded care for New Yorkers.

Mamdani isn’t just talking the talk. He’s gaining traction. He’s gone from longshot to frontrunner, recently overtaking Cuomo in the polls—even before landing AOC’s endorsement, which is basically the progressive political equivalent of getting Beyoncé to post your mixtape.

The race isn’t over yet (fingers crossed, knock on wood, light your votive candle), but one thing is clear: Mamdani is channeling a deep, growing hunger among voters—especially young, working-class, and diverse voters—for something real. Not politics-as-usual. Not Party Grandpa. But a bold vision for a better future.

So what should Democrats learn from this? Whether Mamdani wins or not, his surge in the polls is a screaming neon sign: People are tired. Tired of being told that incrementalism is the only way forward. Tired of being scolded for dreaming bigger. Tired of watching the same establishment figures clutch pearls while the planet burns.

The Democratic Party is at a crossroads. On one side, you’ve got the DNC, clutching its pearls, its Botox, and its outdated playbook. On the other, you’ve got a new generation—of leaders and voters alike—demanding something better.

If the Democrats want to win in 2026, 2028, or honestly, just hold onto the thread of relevance in the TikTok age, they need to stop sidelining the future. The gerontocracy may have gotten us here, but it won’t get us out.

And if you still think Zohran Mamdani’s win would be an outlier? Think again. He’s not the exception. He’s the preview.