Zohran Mamdani Wins Over Gen-Z

“He won! He won! Check the page! Check it now!” 

Credit Rolling Stone

My partner screams on the phone as I frantically check the New York City Democratic Primary Results site, which he had created with a small team for the Democratic Socialists of America. My close friends at the dinner table are staring at me as I put my phone on speaker, watching the dramatic 8-point lead DSA-endorsed candidate Zohran Kwame Mamdani has against his main opponent, previous New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. My group chats ping loudly as my friends in New York, who had canvassed nearly every week for Mamdani, begin to celebrate the news. Relief washes over me as our mouths collectively drop in shock – he did it. He actually did it. 

For Gen-Z folks like myself and my community, Mamdani’s campaign once felt like nothing more than a pipe dream. An immigrant who came to the United States at the age of 7, Mamdani was a working assembly member for District 36 in Queens before running for New York City mayor, advocating heavily for housing reform in one of the most expensive cities in the United States. He felt like the sort of candidate who would forever be overlooked by the Democratic Party, despite his charisma and clear, relatable campaign values. After the disappointment of the Kamala Harris campaign (a campaign that was allotted only 5 months of preparation due to Democratic indecision about a presidential nominee), politics has felt like an eyesore that young people can’t seem to escape. Trump’s win has laid the ground for unconstitutional deportations across the country, laws that endanger transgender youth, and a near-miss with a controversial war against Iran. 

Young people have repeatedly witnessed American politicians fail to represent the people who participate in the democratic system which employs them. When Zohran Mamdani announced his campaign back in October 2024, he was far from being the favorite to win. When former Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his campaign in March of 2025, polls predicted that he would win the Democratic nomination with 41% of the vote. Mamdani was second in line, but with only 18% of the vote. 

So what changed? The strategy – for once, a politician looked first and foremost to the people for its support. 

Mamdani’s campaign prides itself on being the “biggest grassroots campaign in history,” with over 21,000 volunteers, speaking over a dozen languages, canvassing and organizing materials that would encourage diverse populations to vote in NYC’s Democratic Primary. His quippy and well-spoken advertisements spoke to young people across the city, who are notably facing the highest rents in years, and promised to tax the 1% of New York in order to fund equitable infrastructure across NYC. Politicians like AOC and Bernie Sanders endorsed Mamdani on Instagram, alongside social media figures like Anania and Kareem Rahma. All over TikTok, young people have edited sound-bites of his speeches and debate talking points; one of his most viral videos (with over 250,000 likes and counting) is an edit of Mamdani slyly noting the qualifications he does not have, which Cuomo does: 

“To Mr. Cuomo, I have never had to resign in disgrace. I have never cut Medicaid. I have never stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from the M.T.A. I have never hounded the 13 women who credibly accused me of sexual harassment. I have never sued for their gynecological records, and I have never done those things because I am not you, Mr. Cuomo.”

Besides funny viral moments and big names, Mamdani often used his accounts to call on people across the country to phone bank and canvas. His videos showed the diversity of New York City, and as a result, the people who he wished to represent. Zohran Mamdani’s online presence is important because his platform demonstrated how social media could effectively share a political message that directed one to action. 

Gen-Z has long criticized the lack of truly representative representatives in office — the average age of those in Congress are between 57 and 65 years old. Mamdani was often the subject of ageist remarks, with Cuomo’s campaign noting how Zohran’s “lack of experience” in politics would deem him incapable of leading NYC, despite his many years serving the city as an assemblymember. Yet Mamdani continued to defy his opponent’s attacks, creeping closer and closer to him in the polls, as his volunteer base continued to grow. On the cusp of the June 24 election, he was neck and neck with the former governor — a shocking upset for the many Democratic politicians and institutions that had funneled millions more into Andrew Cuomo’s campaign. 

But for young people irritated at the state of the United States, Mamdani is a symbol of hopeful change. A relatively new face amidst a sea of some of the richest families in NYC, he championed the working class. He acknowledged the failures of government, demonstrating empathy to those who turned a blind eye to voting. He spoke praises of his volunteers and always stayed humble to his roots, often showcasing his family and culture in videos and at events. Most importantly, Zohran Mamdani was young enough to understand the New York that Gen-Z envisions for themselves — and for generations to come. 

Continuously disillusioned by politics since the election of Trump in 2016, Gen-Z is no stranger to loss. From growing up under the shadow of 9/11 to attending college during the COVID-19 pandemic, frustration towards the broken systems that fail to provide for our communities is a common sentiment. But as common as devastation is for young people today, so is a desire for more. Zohran Mamdani’s values incited a fire for young people to encourage our neighbors, elders, and friends to elect someone who understood our struggles and to elect someone who wasn’t a disgraced sexual offender. Supporting Zohran Mamdani was not just voting for the person, but voting for a government that can work for all people. 

If a political party like the Democratic Party wants the support of young people, they must take a page from Zohran Mamdani’s book. If this election has shown us anything, it’s that people do care about politics, when it reflects the issues they care about — when their money and time are spent on representatives who understand their experiences. For Gen-Z, Mamdani symbolizes what politics could and should be: an opportunity to collectively change one’s community for the better.