New York's Political Center Needs a New Home

Since the mayoral election last year and the congressional primaries last month, I've had the same conversation with peers in New York City. Watching the continued polarization across the country and the rise of the Democratic Socialists here at home, many centrist working professionals are feeling politically homeless.

For my peers who share this sentiment, the answer is not to physically move to another state or switch to another party. Our response must instead be to lay the foundation for a new political and civic home rooted in the values and vision we have for the city, state, and country.

That path requires first acknowledging why populist movements have gained traction. Young people are feeling immense economic anxiety, concerned that the American Dream has become the American Memory for their generation.

I can understand this sentiment, especially in New York. When I first moved to the city two decades ago, a night out didn’t require a day’s wages, and you could pay your rent without mortgaging your future. This simply isn’t the case anymore.

The rising cost of living, coupled with a sense that institutions are not delivering, is leaving many young people feeling skeptical about our broader economic and political systems. In a March 2025 Cato Institute/YouGov survey, 62% of Americans aged 18-29 reported a favorable view of socialism, and more than a third viewed communism favorably. This is despite ample historical evidence that neither system works.

A generation with little sense of history and little hope for their future can drive our democracy into a very dangerous direction.

Rather than answering these concerns directly, the political and business establishment in New York has too often invested in outdated strategies, pouring tens of millions of dollars into television ads and direct mail pieces late in election cycles to back bad campaigns. These vast resources have overlooked the critical ongoing work of promoting new policy platforms, cultivating candidates, and mobilizing movements.

Consequently, the establishment has found that while it can easily outspend its opponents, it is often out-organized and out-maneuvered. While the Democratic Socialists rally volunteers and voters with chapter meetings, charismatic candidates, and compelling content, underorganized centrists continue to lose supporters, lose elections, and lose the future to the fringes.

Reversing this trend will require a sustained investment in ideas and infrastructure beyond election cycles to lay a foundation for the future so that pragmatism can prevail over populism in our politics. We must create our own bold policy agenda that compiles the best solutions from across the political spectrum to address affordability, expand opportunity, and give more people a stake in shared success. And we must rebuild the civic and political institutions to move this ambition into action.

New York can lead on both fronts and serve as a proving ground for pragmatic progressive policies in cities and states across the country.

On ideas, the agenda should address three central concerns of young people: labor disruptions from artificial intelligence, the escalating impacts of the climate crisis, and the widening economic gap between owners and earners. Failing to answer these challenges now will lead to greater economic and political turmoil and higher costs later.

First, the transformative potential of AI brings incredible opportunity alongside immense uncertainty. New York can ease these disruptions by launching a concerted effort on workforce development. This would include modernizing career and technical education, expanding apprenticeships and public service opportunities, incentivizing small and mid-size businesses to retain and retrain employees, and mobilizing cross-sector capital to scale programs that work. Just as FDR piloted policies as governor of New York that shaped national policy when he became president, Governor Hochul can champion a new social contract that will inspire action in other states and in Washington.

On climate and energy, leaders in Albany have recently missed the mark, prioritizing short-term affordability concerns over long-term economic and environmental sustainability. We cannot power economic growth, electrify transportation, or lead on advanced manufacturing without abundant, reliable clean energy. Instead of backtracking on climate commitments or derailing technological innovation, the state should reform permitting and invest aggressively in grid modernization, nuclear power, and new infrastructure. A robust industrial policy focused on clean energy, building retrofits, and green technologies can cut emissions and utility costs while creating jobs.

Lastly, on income inequality, the divide between asset owners and income earners continues to widen. Restoring confidence in capitalism requires giving more people a real stake in it. Expanding youth savings and investment vehicles – including 529 plans the New York City Council recently expanded – offer early onramps. We should also incentivize broader employee equity participation, consider rent-to-own pilots that encourage home ownership, and encourage more investment in early-stage startups and small- and medium-sized businesses. When more young people have an opportunity to participate in capitalism, they will feel more connected to its success.

Ideas alone are not enough. We already know the technical paths towards building housing, creating great schools, and deploying clean energy. Yet, we don’t do it. Fundamentally, these are problems of politics, not physics. Changing this dynamic will require an investment in civic and political infrastructure that can shape public awareness, mobilize resources, back visionary leaders, and foster a sustained movement.

This foundation can ensure that New York’s future is not shaped solely by the loudest or most ideologically rigid voices, but by a broad coalition of independent, reform-minded builders committed to making the city and state work better. We must reframe civic engagement for working professionals and business leaders not as passive political activity, but as continuous institution-building critical for advancing economic growth and opportunity in New York.

Fundamentally, democracy is strongest when citizens believe they have both a stake in the community and the agency to shape it. For the political center to lead, it cannot simply define itself by opposition to the fringes. It must be proactive in championing ideas, scaling institutions, cultivating leaders, and building a home where the next generation of New Yorkers feels both included and invested in the city's future success.