Zohran Mamdani Wins New York City Mayoral Race

What Mamdani’s victory memes for campaigning in the digital age.

BY Katherine Schlueter ★ December 1st, 2025

Design by: Sophie Rottenberg

Before you start planning for or fearing a democratic socialist revolution, take a beat. Although NYC’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani captured the national imagination with a snazzy social media campaign highlighting ambitious progressive policies, future political candidates copying Mamdani’s platform have learned the wrong lesson. Policies that work in NYC do not necessarily translate nationwide, and what political strategists should be taking notes on is creative branding and clear messaging. 

Mamdani's social media presence was key to building his persona from a relative nobody in local politics to a media sensation that will soon run the largest city in the country. Capitalizing on viral moments like the mayoral debates, presidential jabs and interactions with voters gave the public a clear sense of Mamdani’s image, one of a young, approachable immigrant with a grin forever plastered on his face, drawing a clear contrast between Mamdani and his more politically-established opponents. Mamdani gave complex progressive policies catchy taglines, like “Freeze the Rent,” that simplified his messaging and made his policies both accessible and appealing to prospective voters. Mamdani’s opponents attempted to replicate his social media flair, but failed to match his style, self-awareness, humor and overall charisma. 

The visual appeal of Mamdani's campaign was a draw, and his videos were definitely a departure from what is typically expected from established politicians. There are several similarities between Mamdani’s campaign strategy and that of United States Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 2018 congressional campaign. Both have been touted by their party for their ability to engage with young people through social media; Rep. Ocasio-Cortez even gave her fellow Democrats a Twitter lesson after her election to the House. In terms of policy, both figures are largely ostracized by party leaders on both sides of the aisle, and are frequent fodder for right-wing pundits as examples of liberalism run amuck. 

After Mamdani won NYC’s Democratic primary, his win in the general mayoral election was not all that surprising. What is surprising is that this is the same city that more billionaires call home than anywhere else in the world and they fervently fought Mamdani’s rise. These financiers largely backed the former Governor of New York State, independent mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, yet an amalgamation of small donations eventually led to Mamdani hitting the fundraising cap early on in his campaign. This could signal a change in fundraising practices within a party that has been relying on SuperPACS (Political Action Committees) and large donations as a cornerstone of their election strategy. Could the power of financial elites be waning?

Mamdani’s win also marks a departure from the Democratic establishment that, in recent years, has banked on marketing to moderates. The young candidate’s rise proves that taking a hard left stance can be effective as well; however, whether this is indicative of a political strategy that can resonate outside the liberal haven of NYC has yet to be seen. 

Of course, to get a better sense of national strategy, one must step outside the political bubble of New York. In gubernatorial races, two moderate Democratic women won in Virginia and New Jersey. The two candidates, Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill, previously shared an apartment while they worked together in the House of Representatives, and also shared similar political viewpoints, like an opposition to President Donald J. Trump and energizing the Democrat’s coalition. Coming from fairly reliable blue states, Sherrill and Spanberger’s victories were not entirely surprising, but the margins were much better than expected. Their respective successes illustrate to party leaders that the old strategy of appealing to moderates remains bankable, so radical policy changes are unlikely to be adopted as the national playbook.

Registered Democrats, even those who self-identify as democratic socialists and fundamentally oppose the old guard of the party establishment, will generally vote blue regardless. Young people who may have voted for Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2020 presidential Democratic primary still backed former President Joe Biden in the general election when it came down to it. When it comes to winning elections, Democrats are not generally concerned with appealing to the fringes of their party, but making up for their losses in the middle. 

There’s no doubt that come the 2026 Midterm elections, Democrats will bank on the midterm penalty to win back crucial seats in Congress. Taking notes on these races will only help push them over the edge. 

Edited by: Kacie Moschella