By Olivia Beavers

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Senate Republicans' campaign chief, argued Tuesday night that Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York Mayoral race shows the Democratic party is now being overtaken by socialists. He is taking that case to GOP donors as the party defends its 53-47 Senate majority next fall.

"Tuesday's election is not a repackaging of Vermont socialism or the Squad 2.0, but the heartbeat" of today's Democrats, Scott wrote in a fundraising letter timed to Mamdani's win. "Mamdani's ideology is no longer fringe-it is the foundation of the Democrat Party," he wrote.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, ran on a campaign about making New York City affordable again. His critics, however, attack his plans as counterproductive. He's also come under fire for a series of statements about the police and Israel.

In the letter, Scott highlighted Democratic candidates running for Senate that he painted as too far left for American voters. The list includes Maine progressive Senate candidate Graham Platner, who is hoping to win a primary race before challenging GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine in the general election. Scott cited a string of comments Platner reportedly once wrote on Reddit years ago - which Platner has since walked back - including past posts where he identifies as a "communist."

Scott also linked Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate in Michigan who endorsed Mamdani, and James Talarico in Texas, who has praised Mamdani as part of this shift for Democrats.

This item is part of a Wall Street Journal live coverage event. The full stream can be found by searching P/WSJL (WSJ Live Coverage).

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 04, 2025 22:00 ET (03:00 GMT)

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