A young candidate who some suggested was both inexperienced and far too progressive, elected to lead New York City, turns out to be an adept and innovative manager.

Sound familiar?

Here in 2025, some critics argue that the Democratic nominee Assemb. Zohran Mamdani, 33, is unprepared to be mayor, based on limited experience, and that his socialist beliefs — he’s a democratic socialist — make him far too progressive to lead the city.

We have a ways to go before November, let alone seeing how Mamdani might perform as mayor. But I can’t help but think back to 1965 and the election of John V. Lindsay, 43, who faced similar critiques as a progressive Republican running with the support of the Liberal Party. I had the distinct honor of working for Lindsay in the mayor’s office and experienced

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