FOUR DAYS before New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist assemblyman who represents part of Queens, walked the length of Manhattan, 13 miles (21km) from Inwood Hill Park to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. “New Yorkers deserve a mayor that they can see, they can hear, they can even yell at,” he said. It was reminiscent of Ed Koch, a charismatic mayor in the 1970s and 1980s. Koch would often ask his constituents “How’m I doin’?”. He was greeted by cheers or jeers, depending on the year and the neighbourhood. By that standard, Mr Mamdani, who beat the Democratic establishment to win the primary on June 24th, already looks mayoral.