Hayes: Endorsing against incumbents really is kind of the unwritten rule in this. Tish James, who was a very vocal backer of yours when you were running for mayor—and even a backer of yours when I think it was pretty politically controversial to be so—had this to say. She said she and other political leaders she’s spoken to are disappointed in Zohran Mamdani. “All of us are a little frustrated with the Democratic Party, but you don’t blow it up. That’s what MAGA has done.” What do you say to that? Mamdani: I think, what is the Democratic Party if not its voters? And what we saw yesterday evening were Democrats across the city turning out and voting for a new kind of politics. And I’ve been clear time and time again that I believe the only majority in our country is that of the working class. And what we saw is that a focus on the working class. And I have a deep amount of respect for my friend, Attorney General James. And I also believe that these are the kinds of candidates that we need to see in Congress, as well as the five state legislative candidates that I endorsed that also won yesterday evening. I made a promise to New Yorkers that I would use every tool at my disposal to actually transform this city into one that they could afford. And one of those tools is using your political capital to ensure that the people who will fight hardest for that same agenda are going to be there, whether it’s in Albany or whether it’s in D.C.

I say this with no ill will or animosity: if you hate the Democratic Party, then please don’t run for our nomination. Don’t use our resources. Don’t rely on our volunteers. Don’t use our infrastructure. Don’t ask Democrats to invest their time, money, and energy in your campaign. Focus on building the party you actually support. Political parties aren’t perfect, but they’re built by millions of people who knock doors, make calls, organize meetings, and fight for the values they believe in. If you don’t believe in the party, then don’t ask its members to carry you across the finish line.