Zohran Mamdani’s Campaign and What It Says about the Political Climate in the US
Since the announcement of his campaign for Mayor of New York City on October 23, 2024, Zohran Mamdani has transformed from a relatively unknown state lawmaker into a figure of youthful determination within the somber spectacle of US politics. As the White House currently faces the longest government shutdown in history, state elections have seen high turnout rates and solid Democrat wins, with recent Democrat gubernatorial campaigns in New Jersey and Virginia leading by 56.6% and 57.3% respectively. The same enthusiasm was evident in the mayoral campaign in New York City, with a turnout of 42% of registered voters, the highest number recorded since the mayoral election of 1969. These numbers are not merely the result of successful lobbying and adherence to voter demands, but a direct response to Trump's steamrolling policies. Mamdani has shown that he intends to be a thorn in the President's side. In his victory speech, he provocatively remarks that “if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him”. The next few months will be interesting to watch, as Trump and Mamdani are sure to clash over the future of the city.
The mayor-elect is far from the typical candidate. Mamdani was born in Uganda to parents of Indian descent, before immigrating to the US aged seven. He credits his mother, Mira Nair, an esteemed filmmaker, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a professor of anthropology and politics at Columbia University, for sparking his interest in politics through their work focused on themes of colonialism and social justice. Alongside this, he is also New York City's first Muslim mayor, and its youngest since the 1890s. This has made him a direct target of Republican politicians, who have questioned his naturalisation process and citizenship, as well as linking him to terrorist groups such as Hamas. Some Democrats believe that his Socialist and progressive views are at odds with the party as a whole, and worry that he will become a new target for Republicans. This ideological fracture within the Democratic Party has grown over the past decade, with more centrist leaders diverging from their left-leaning counterparts. While more moderate policies could be a way also to capture non-MAGA Republicans and traditional Democrats, there is an argument to be made that progressives and Democratic Socialists such as Mamdani are much more adept at identifying everyday needs and communicating with a larger range of voters.
Up until recently, however, Zohran Mamdani had been a minor figure in the State Assembly, serving New York's 36th district. He had decided to go into politics after canvassing for a Muslim City Council candidate and seeing how overlooked representation of the large Muslim contingent has hitherto been. It was during this time that he began to develop a sense for the main issue facing voters, namely the fact that the city had become unaffordable for many. Lowering the costs of transportation and housing became the two pillars of Mamdani's political plan, especially as rent increases had risen throughout the five boroughs by 25% since 2015. By the time he was running for mayor, he had solidified his platform into four main points: rent freezes, free buses, free universal child care, and the creation of city-owned grocery stores. The next challenge for him was competing against recognisable names such as Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams, who were running for a second term. The earliest polls placed him at a 1% chance of winning.
However, Mamdani quickly showed his ability to garner interest by utilising the canvassing skills from his early days in politics. He took to the streets of New York City himself, often visiting neighbourhoods overlooked by previous candidates, particularly in areas with low-income housing where his policies on rent-freezing would be most felt. Voters were responsive to his messaging, and he managed to build an extensive network of volunteers that targeted a variety of sub-groups and ethnic enclaves. By delivering a campaign focused on the multilingual, multicultural dimension of the city, he stirred up groups who had never voted and saw the mayoral election as out of touch and unrelatable.
Mamdani's social media influence also helped him gain traction among younger generations. By utilising short-form videos, he delivered clear policy plans rather than focusing on the more traditional approach through TV advertisements. His strategy could not have been more different from that of Andrew Cuomo, his primary opponent, who ran as an Independent after losing the Democratic primary. Cuomo has chosen what has been labelled the ‘Rose Garden strategy’, which allows him to remain within a circle of supporters without coming face-to-face with his opponents or their supporters. His refusal to communicate with the public or engage with criticism in any way lent him a reputation of detachment and an unwillingness to face questions concerning his position as governor, which he resigned from following sexual harassment allegations. His advertising, which included a racist AI-generated video of Mamdani that he quickly deleted, did not manage to strike the same chord as Mamdani's. Even major fundraising efforts from individuals such as Mike Bloomberg and Bill Ackman were unable to bring him to victory. Cuomo's reliance on name recognition and his connections to wealthy New Yorkers was his downfall, as he failed to create a personal and genuine-seeming campaign.
Mamdani's win on November 4 has been a monumental shift in the political scene within the United States. By dismantling the power of millionaire and billionaire spending on political campaigns and demonstrating the strength of ground-up approach, the mayor-elect has shown that a fight against Donald Trump is possible through mobilisation and determination.
But Mamdani must now prove himself. Trump has already said that he plans to cut federal funding to the city, and Mamdani's promise to tax corporations and the 1% will prove difficult to achieve as he needs approval from the Governor. The current Governor, Kathy Hochul, is running for reelection and has been skeptical about Mamdani’s position on taxation. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) chair Janno Lieber has also questioned the feasibility of a free bus program due to the financial strain it could place on the corporation. These will be difficult negotiations, and they will test the strength of the Democratic Party and whether it will accept more left-leaning agendas. Yet Mamdani’s very ascent has already transformed the narrative of the kind of leadership Americans are looking for. Whether he succeeds in implementing his policies or not, Mamdani's victory represents more than a chance upset, it is a reflection of a desire for authenticity and genuine leadership in public office. As Washington remains caught up in political gridlock, the new mayor's venture may offer a preview of a new era of American politics, with younger, more progressive candidates challenging the old order.
Image courtesy of Bingjiefu He via Wikimedia, ©2024. Some rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the wider St. Andrews Foreign Affairs Review team.
