In just a few months, Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblyman and Democratic Socialist, has gone from a long-shot fringe candidate to a national figure — securing an upset win in the June primary, where voters 18-29 had the highest turnout of any age group.
Now, on the cusp of Election Day — where polls show him the clear frontrunner over his closest rival, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — Mamdani is counting on that youth coalition to show up again. But his pledge to address rising costs appears to be resonating with young people far outside of the five boroughs. It’s a message that many Gen Z and millennials say speaks to their most pressing concerns at a time when many feel hopeless about their leaders and yearn for new voices willing to break with political norms.
“When a candidate is able to speak to the concerns of the populace and validate those concerns … I think that that has a big impact, especially when it comes to young people,” said Ruby Belle Booth, who studies young voters for the nonpartisan research organization CIRCLE.
Lol I’m in Estonia and I care more about this than our own municipal government elections that was… I think 2 weeks ago? I mean I voted, I just don’t remember when it was. The folks who got in were mostly OK and we’re keeping the previous mayor who was OK.
Mamdani could be the leading force behind change in what is arguably the most influential nation to most of the western world. And it’s all starting off in one of the most iconic cities in the world, that desperately needs all the help it can get.
I honestly dont think he is going to get all of that stuff done, but im ok with that because intent is more important to me
Sometimes bringing people hope is more important than whether you get everything done or even just half. When people have hope, more progressive politicians may get their chances.
I mean, he’s a mayor—not city council. People ascribe far too much power to the executive branch to get things done as opposed to the legislative branch which holds all the actual power in a representative democracy