BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Bigger Picture  >  Beyond The Ballot Box  >  How Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani Took on New York’s Billionaires, and Won

How Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani Took on New York’s Billionaires, and Won

Professor Peter Beattie, Political Economist, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)

11-Nov-25 15:00

How Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani Took on New York’s Billionaires, and Won

Zohran Mamdani has won the New York City mayoral election, defeating Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa.
Not only that, he also received more than 50% of the popular vote. He’s a proud Democratic Socialist, and notably, the first Muslim and South Asian to become mayor of New York City.

Billionaires reportedly spent over 22 million dollars trying to stop him, yet he won. Donald Trump and Elon Musk publicly attacked him and endorsed Andrew Cuomo. Yet, Mamdani won.

Not only did he win, he won on an unabashedly, proudly, multicultural, people-centered platform focused on affordability, including pledges to freeze rents, provide fast and free public buses, and ensure universal childcare.

He plans to fund these initiatives by taxing New York’s wealthiest residents: multimillionaires and billionaires.

So, how did a Democratic Socialist become mayor in the heart of global capitalism? And what does it signal?

We speak to Professor Peter Beattie, who's a political economist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Produced by: Dashran Yohan

Presented by: Dashran Yohan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  politicsinternational

Tags:  universal childcarethe bigger picturebeyond the ballot boxZohran Mamdanidemocratic socialismcapitalismnew york cityaffordable housing





Play / Pause

Listen now : Top 5 at 5: A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of...

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Tim Waterer, Chief Market Analyst, KCM Trade tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Alvin Tai, Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence, on the outlook for palm planters in 2026 amid declining 2025 prices and high inventories.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Bunn Nagara, Director and Senior Fellow at the Renaissance Strategic Research Institute and Honorary Fellow at the Perak Academy, on what is at stake in the Thailand-Cambodia conflict.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Dr Prashanth Parameswaran, Fellow at the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security and founder of the ASEAN Wonk newsletter, on 2025’s geopolitical trends and what to expect in 2026 amid ongoing global conflicts.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Michael Liew, Secretary-General, Malaysia Retail Chain Association gives us an outlook for the retail sector in 2026.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

(REPEAT) Bunn Nagara, Director and Senior Fellow at the Renaissance Strategic Research Institute and Honorary Fellow at the Perak Academy, on what is at stake in the Thailand-Cambodia conflict.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Tim Waterer, Chief Market Analyst, KCM Trade tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) We take a look at the FBM KLCI as well as regional capital markets.

9:35 AM

Pinnacle Perspectives

Ng Zhu Hann, Founder and CEO of Tradeview Capital, recaps pivotal market movements in 2025, and outlook for 2026.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

11:05 AM

P&L

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Dr Prashanth Parameswaran, Fellow at the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security and founder of the ASEAN Wonk newsletter, on 2025’s geopolitical trends and what to expect in 2026 amid ongoing global conflicts.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Earth Matters

In this ‘Best of 2025’ replay, we hear from Gerimis Art’s co-founder Wendi Sia, to discover more about the Mah Meri’s bunga moyang, or ancestral spirit flowers, that reflect a way of life in harmony with nature.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

In this ‘Best of 2025’ replay, we speak to Narcotics Anonymous Malaysia about how they help people with drug addiction.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of the day, to catch you up on all you need to know!

6:00 PM

Today I Learned

7:00 PM

Just For Kicks

8:00 PM

A Bit of Culture