Rebecca Katz: De Blasio and Fetterman’s consultant breaks down Mamdani’s win

This year’s New York City mayoral primary delivered twists, upsets and a surprise victory that’s redrawing the city’s political landscape. To unpack the moment, seasoned strategist and key adviser Rebecca Katz joined NY1’s Errol Louis for a wide-ranging conversation on strategy, authenticity and what it takes to win. Katz, whose track record includes advising Sens. John Fetterman and Ruben Gallego and former Mayor Bill de Blasio, reflects on the lessons of this campaign cycle and the unexpected rise of Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor. She broke down how issue-driven, community-rooted messaging continues to resonate with voters, drawing parallels to de Blasio’s 2013 run. The conversation also explored the evolving tools of modern politics, including the need for Democrats to embrace social media, the underrated power of “fun” in campaigns and why showing up consistently for communities still matters more than ever.