Former Sanders strategist urges Democrats to embrace Mamdani’s rise

Tad Devine, the veteran Democratic strategist who helped run Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, says the party is still mishandling candidates on its left flank. In an interview with Fortune, Devine argued that Democrats should treat Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral primary victory as a gain for the party rather than a threat to its establishment wing.

Devine’s comments come as he promotes a new book, How the Democrats Screwed Bernie, due out July 7, according to Fortune. The book revisits the 2016 Democratic primary and uses Sanders’ campaign as a case study in how party rules and insiders can shape who gets a real shot at power.

Devine revisits 2016

Devine told Fortune he warned reporters in 2016 that Hillary Clinton would be vulnerable in a general election after Sanders’ strong performance in New Hampshire. He said he pointed to open primaries, where independent voters could participate, as evidence that Clinton had trouble with voters Democrats would need in November.

According to Fortune, Devine said the reaction inside Democratic circles was fierce, with critics accusing him of attacking Clinton rather than assessing her electoral strength. He now argues that the party failed to take seriously the signals coming from voters outside its most reliable primary electorate.

Devine also told Fortune that Democratic National Committee conduct during the 2016 race supported Sanders’ complaint that the party apparatus favored Clinton. Fortune reported that leaked DNC emails released during the 2016 convention reinforced allegations that the committee was not neutral; the DNC did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment.

Devine singled out Nevada as an example of establishment intervention, telling Fortune that then-Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid helped Clinton in the caucuses. He also criticized the superdelegate system, saying Clinton’s early support from party insiders helped create a sense that her nomination was unavoidable. Fortune reported that the DNC later changed its superdelegate rules, though Devine said the changes did not go far enough.

Mamdani as a test case

Devine told Fortune he sees a similar pattern in New York, where Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, won the Democratic mayoral primary after campaigning on housing, transit and higher taxes on the wealthy. Fortune reported that Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo, who had name recognition, donors and institutional backing.

Devine argued that New York’s election rules still limit participation, even though the 2025 mayoral primary had the city’s highest turnout in more than a decade, according to NYC Votes. He told Fortune that would-be voters had to register as Democrats well before most campaign advertising began.

New York requires eligible voters to register at least 25 days before Election Day, Fortune reported. The New York Civil Liberties Union has said such deadlines hurt young voters most, and Fortune cited the group’s finding that same-day registration would have made more than 70,000 additional New Yorkers eligible to vote in 2016.

Devine acknowledged to Fortune that a democratic socialist can face different electoral challenges in New York City than in a presidential contest in states such as South Carolina. But he said Mamdani differs from Sanders in one key way: Mamdani identifies as a Democrat, while Sanders resisted that label.

A broader warning to Democrats

Devine told Fortune that Sanders’ core economic message remains potent because inequality and campaign finance concerns have persisted. He argued that candidates who connect economic unfairness with political money can reach voters nationwide.

His broader recommendation to Democrats is procedural as much as ideological. Devine told Fortune the party should open its nomination, campaign finance and voter registration systems to more participants, including people who do not agree with party leaders on every issue.

According to Devine, Democrats should let voters determine outcomes rather than rely on rules that protect incumbents and insiders. He told Fortune that a party more tolerant of internal disagreement would be better positioned to win elections.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.