On August 20, 2025, New York City’s political landscape was jolted by two unrelated but equally dramatic events: a stunning Democratic primary victory by Zohran Mamdani and a bizarre cash-for-chips incident involving a former top aide to Mayor Eric Adams. Both stories, unfolding just blocks apart in Manhattan, have thrown the city’s power dynamics, party unity, and campaign ethics into sharp relief.
Let’s start with the political earthquake. Four years after Eric Adams rode the Democratic establishment’s wave to the mayoralty, the city’s voters delivered a resounding mandate to Mamdani—a progressive who outpaced Adams’s 2021 primary margin and drew more overall votes, as reported by The New York Times. Mamdani’s campaign, fueled by grassroots enthusiasm and a surge of young voters, seemed to embody the leftward energy coursing through New York’s Democratic base. Yet, in a twist that has left many observers scratching their heads, the party’s most powerful figures have all but turned their backs on the new standard-bearer.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and Governor Kathy Hochul—each a towering presence in New York and national politics—have pointedly refused to endorse Mamdani. Even national Democrats like Rahm Emanuel and Cory Booker have either criticized him or withheld their support. The silence is deafening, especially when contrasted with the warm embrace Adams received from the same establishment after his primary win in 2021. Back then, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi beamed in photos with Adams and described herself as "honored" to host him among House Democrats. Adams was even seated near President Biden at a White House event. As The New York Times put it in a 2021 headline: "Why Top Democrats Are Listening to Eric Adams Right Now."
Mamdani’s case is different. Despite clinching a phone call with Barack Obama—described as lengthy and positive—Obama has not publicly endorsed him. The party’s reluctance, according to reporting from The New York Times and The City, seems rooted in concerns about Mamdani’s progressive policies and their perceived lack of appeal beyond New York’s deep-blue districts. Initially, some establishment Democrats suggested Mamdani was insufficiently attentive to the safety of Jewish New Yorkers because he refused to condemn the phrase "Globalize the intifada" during his campaign. Yet, after Mamdani publicly declared the phrase problematic, the criticism shifted. Jeffries, for instance, stated last week that voters in his own district remain unconvinced by Mamdani’s ideas—this despite Mamdani winning Jeffries’s district in the primary.
Many progressives, including activists and strategists, see the cold shoulder as less about policy viability and more about the establishment’s discomfort with the party’s left wing. As one progressive strategist observed in The New York Times, "If politicians only endorsed candidates who they were sure could implement their campaign promises, there would be very few endorsements." The real concern, they argue, is that prominent progressives like Mamdani might taint the party’s image in swing districts, giving Republicans ammunition for attack ads. This dynamic is hardly new—Republicans once painted moderates as Pelosi clones, and Democrats did the same to moderate Republicans with Newt Gingrich.
But there’s another layer: campaign donors and the party’s centrist coalition. Jeffries, Schumer, and Gillibrand, critics say, may simply oppose someone as progressive as Mamdani holding such a prestigious office. The recent ousting of progressives Cori Bush and Jamal Bowman from Congress—helped along by heavy spending from pro-Israel and centrist donors—signals a coordinated effort to keep the party’s left flank in check. The refusal to endorse Mamdani, some argue, is just the latest chapter in this ongoing struggle.
Progressive activists are not taking the snub lightly. They’re urging party leaders to respect the will of Democratic voters, especially in overwhelmingly liberal cities like New York. As The New York Times noted, "Progressives should make the case that ‘Vote blue no matter what’ seems to be only respected by one side." At the same time, strategists are encouraging progressives to focus on winning primaries in reliably blue areas, rather than trying to flip swing districts where the party’s center holds more sway. Mamdani himself has taken a conciliatory approach, meeting with Jeffries, Schumer, and other leaders, and avoiding public complaints about establishment resistance. "The average Democratic voter isn’t a committed progressive or moderate," one strategist explained. "They want Democrats to win and stop Trump. They like charismatic, inspiring candidates of all stripes."
While Mamdani’s victory has exposed deep fissures within the Democratic Party, the day’s other headline-grabbing event raised questions about ethics and campaign culture. Just hours after the primary, Winnie Greco—a former top aide to Mayor Adams and a current adviser to his reelection campaign—was caught handing a bag of potato chips stuffed with cash to The City reporter Katie Honan outside the mayor’s new Harlem campaign office. According to The City and The New York Post, Greco insisted that Honan take the crumpled bag of Herr’s sour cream and onion chips, which, upon inspection, contained a red envelope with at least one $100 bill and several $20 bills.
When confronted, Greco apologized profusely, telling The City, "I make a mistake. I’m so sorry. It’s a culture thing. I don’t know. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry. I feel so bad right now. I’m so sorry honey." Later, with her attorney present, Greco pleaded for leniency: "Can we forget about this? I try to be a good person. Please. Please. Please don’t do in the news nothing about me." Her attorney, Steven Brill, explained, "In the Chinese culture, money is often given to others in a gesture of friendship and gratitude. Winnie’s intent was purely innocent." He added, "Winnie is apologetic and embarrassed by any negative impression or confusion that may have caused."
The fallout was swift. The Adams campaign immediately suspended Greco’s volunteer status, with spokesperson Todd Shapiro telling The New York Post, "We are shocked by these reports. Winnie Greco holds no position in this campaign and has been suspended from all VOLUNTEER campaign-related activities. Mayor Adams had no prior knowledge of this matter." The incident was reported to the Department of Investigation, which confirmed receipt of the allegations but declined further comment. Greco, who resigned as Adams’s Asian Affairs adviser in October 2024 following a city investigation and a raid on her Bronx home, had only recently returned to campaign activities.
This cash-for-chips episode comes as Adams’s inner circle faces increased scrutiny. Just hours before Greco’s incident, The New York Post reported that longtime Adams confidant Ingrid Lewis-Martin could soon face additional corruption charges. The details remain murky, but the timing underscores the heightened focus on ethics and transparency in city government.
As New Yorkers process these twin dramas—one about the future direction of the Democratic Party, the other about old-fashioned campaign intrigue—they’re left with a city at a crossroads. The establishment’s refusal to rally behind Mamdani, despite his popular mandate, has reignited debates about the soul of the party. Meanwhile, the potato chip scandal is a reminder that, even in the nation’s largest city, politics can still be stranger than fiction.
With the general election looming, the choices made by party leaders and the conduct of campaign operatives will shape not just the mayoral race, but the broader narrative of Democratic politics in America’s biggest city.
