The victory of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s mayoral race was hailed by progressives as a watershed moment, a decisive blow against a political establishment that seemed impervious to change. But less than 24 hours after the polls closed, the new mayor-elect made a decision that sent a chill through the very base that carried him to power: he announced he was keeping billionaire heiress and national security hardliner Jessica Tisch as his Police Commissioner.

It was, as one report noted, “a whiplash-inducing swing” from a campaign that had centered on giving power to ordinary people. By retaining Tisch, Mamdani signals a concession not just to the political establishment, but to the unelected, anti-democratic apparatus of “national security.”

Tisch, the 44-year-old daughter of billionaire Loews Corporation Chairman James Tisch, has made her philosophy clear. Last month, facing a potential $80 million federal cut to the NYPD’s counterterrorism budget, she called the proposal a “betrayal” that must be placed above politics. “Counterterrorism funding cannot be a political issue,” Tisch declared, defending budgets for “intelligence analysts who uncover plots before they become attacks,” “camera systems,” and “heavy weapons.” When asked if these cuts would impact the department’s ability to fight actual crime, her answer was telling: “No,” she conceded, “these cuts… would be devastating if they go through to our counter-terrorism programs, as opposed to our crime-fighting abilities.”

This is the unelected official Mamdani has chosen to head the NYPD. His justification has been uncharacteristically vague. Mamdani told Good Morning America he was focused on her record of “public safety,” a line that has been echoed by establishment figures like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who said the decision would “provide a lot of comfort to people.” Comfort for whom is the operative question. As one NYPD insider joked about Tisch’s glowing press coverage, “Daddy’s dollars have reach.”

For those who have followed Democratic politics for the last few decades, this rightward pivot feels painfully familiar. Progressive champions have a long history of running on ideals of transformative change only to be ground down by the gears of the establishment once in office. Barack Obama was elected on a platform of hope and an end to Bush-era overreach, yet he expanded the national security state and drone warfare. Nancy Pelosi, despite her power, often acted as a brake on the progressive wing of her party. More recently, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a standard-bearer for the left, disappointed many supporters by voting to approve additional funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.

The pattern is clear: the system bends everyone towards the center, or further right. The allure of “seriousness” and “pragmatism” becomes a straitjacket, forcing once-bold leaders to comply with the unwritten rules of power. Mamdani’s decision suggests he is already wearing it. A Bloomberg report noted that Tisch is willing to stay on “as long as the progressive mayor-elect allows her to keep pursuing her agenda.” This arrangement raises serious questions about who is truly in charge of policing in New York City.

While the national stage provides a warning, the same dynamic is playing out here in Rhode Island. Providence Mayoral candidate David Morales, for instance, is attempting to replicate Mamdani’s grassroots campaign style. But voters should remember that after first being elected to the State House as a DSA-backed progressive who promised to challenge power, one of his first significant votes was to install Joe Shekarchi, the embodiment of the state’s political machine, as House Speaker. As Morales now runs for mayor against a lifeless field of candidates, Providence residents must scrutinize who he aligns with and hold him accountable.

Another local progressive Democrat who took a sharp right turn is State Senator Sam Bell. After running as one of the most progressive candidates in the state, Bell made the shocking decision to publicly support President Joe Biden last year. The endorsement was seen by many on the left as an abandonment of principle, particularly given the Biden administration’s major role in supporting a military campaign in Gaza that has led to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis and a death toll in the hundreds of thousands.

These examples are not meant to induce despair, but to encourage vigilance. There is still a glimmer of hope that Mamdani might be different. He has appointed Lina Khan, the widely respected and effective Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, to his transition team. Khan is arguably the most effective federal official of the 21st century and was considered the one truly positive force in an otherwise grim Biden presidency. Her involvement suggests Mamdani may still be willing to take on concentrated power.

But the Tisch appointment remains a powerful symbol. It suggests the NYPD will continue to operate autonomously, guided by the dogma of a national security cult that believes it is too important to be questioned by voters or the officials they elect. Mamdani broke many of the ironclad rules of politics to win. The question now is whether he will have the courage to break the most important one of all, or if he, too, will subordinate his agenda to a system that tolerates no dissent.