The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.

Taya Graham:

After an election where the mainstream media seemed more concerned about the idea of socialism than the issues confronting New Yorkers Democratic socialist candidate, Zohran Mamdani had a decisive victory and will be the next mayor of New York. We spent the day traveling throughout Manhattan during this record turnout talking to voters who said, this election is about one thing change. Stephen, this has been such an exciting race. What are some of your takeaways from today? Well, I think

Stephen Janis:

What it is is a big miss for the mainstream media. And the reason I say is because they were making this sort of a nationalized race that only it was about socialism and somehow Mondavi was going to be some big eyesore for the Democratic party. But what we saw here was an enthusiasm for change that was much more important than any sort of isms that could be applied to it.

Speaker 3:

Feeling excited about New York City having some new ideas standing up to Donald Trump.

Taya Graham:

Now, is there a particular candidate you feel represents

Speaker 3:

New ideas? Very excited about Mamdani

Speaker 4:

We need change. Lots of change in New York City, and I was really anxious to get new blood to vote for new blood, and that’s what I did. I have a feeling there’s a candidate that might represent that new blood Mamdani.

Stephen Janis:

I feel like this has been so poorly reported out in the sense that while mainstream media and people in DC were kind of going over what Trump had thought about Mamdani or anybody besides Mamdani or the people in New York thought about him, they completely missed the story. They try to ask Hakeem Jeffries or Chuck Schumer or Democratic leaders, but nobody asked New Yorkers. And as we went around New York today talking to New Yorkers, there was pure enthusiasm for him as a person and as an agent of change.

Speaker 5:

I’m looking for Zohran. I think it’s wonderful.

Taya Graham:

May I ask, what are some of the policies that, or ideas that make him your candidate?

Speaker 5:

He’s not afraid to use the S word. He’s new and free, and we don’t actually have any other choices.

Taya Graham:

It’s really interesting that you said the S word because I’ve watched a lot of mainstream media and it seems like there’s a lot of hype about the S word, the socialism word, but the people I’ve spoken to in New York don’t seem to be afraid of it. What do you think about mainstream media has been covering Zohran?

Speaker 5:

I think it’s sad that that word has been misused and misunderstood. The country can use a little bit of socialism mixed with capitalism for the bottom of the community, or we need to take care of everyone.

Stephen Janis:

Not so much about socialism, but just the idea that there was going to be some relief to some of the things that they’re dealing with.

Taya Graham:

Absolutely. We spoke to New Yorkers from age 19 to 90 practically, and I can tell you one thing that was consistent. They were tired of the old guard. They were ready to gamble on something new. Why don’t we take a listen to some of them?

Speaker 6:

Affordability matters to me the most, and that’s why I’m going to vote for Mamdani.

Speaker 7:

My name’s Abdulah Kaya. I’m waiting for him to make a better city and make it more comfortable for everybody. So the New York City is expensive from top to bottom.

Speaker 4:

The early one, it was like Cuomo, but then Mamdani started speaking something different and I’m like, maybe give him a chance because we had Cuomo.

Taya Graham:

So Stephen, you can hear from these New Yorkers, most of ’em are saying the same things. They’re concerned about affordable housing, they’re concerned about the cost of groceries, they’re concerned about public safety, and they’re willing to take a chance on Mamdani.

Stephen Janis:

Yeah, I mean, to me it was just extraordinary to hear people actually talk. It was like I was like, I in a different world had I been covering AMI from some place, like a foreign planet or something. And the thing was, it kind of reminds me, I’ve covered a lot of elections and it reminds me a little bit of when Obama, in 2000, it does have that energy a bit where people were just generally excited about their vote. And I think one of the things that the mainstream media gets wrong, now let’s take, when Donald Trump wins or Donald Trump gets a certain cross section of rural voters, the mainstream media takes the concerns of those voters as sacrosanct, as kind of sacred, as kind of like we have to explore it and always legitimate, but they did not because of the attachment of the word socialism to this and to his policies were progressive and generously progressive. The mainstream media dismissed it completely as if there’s no genuine concerns here,

Speaker 8:

Mamdani, because I feel like we just need someone new and fresh for the city. He’s kind of like the everyday average person of people who get up and go to work. He lives in low income, I feel to me like he wants certain things to help the people better and we just need a fresh face. Cuomo’s been here, done that really didn’t do much. So just a fresh face. So that’s why that candidate,

Taya Graham:

I spoke to a teacher, a retired teacher, her rent is $5,000 a month. It could have knocked me over with a feather. It’s incredible. I mean, affordable housing is such an issue here and I think the New Yorkers here, they just want to change and they’re willing to gamble on that change. What kind of change do you think he would bring?

Speaker 9:

I think he will connect more with the young people or the younger voter, if you will, simply by how he uses social media to engage. He’s out in the streets with people. I think that type of energy being brought to the city, whether good or bad, I think it’s good. I think it’s a good thing.

Speaker 6:

What you give, you get back and I think that’s an important, it’s also one of the things that makes New Yorkers wonderful. They really do care about one another, and I’m hoping that the new mayor will, as he has said, he would take that as a given and make sure that everybody, I has all the advantages that they should have.

Taya Graham:

May I ask what candidate you think best represents that

Speaker 6:

Mamdani?

Taya Graham:

Well, one thing is for certain voters here in New York said one thing loud and clear. They wanted change. They wanted out with the old guard and in with the news. So we’re going to be excited to see what Mayor Mamdani does next, and I have a feeling the rest of the country is going to be watching. This is Taya Graham and Stephen Janis reporting for you.