You can just tweet Zohran Mamdani's name and immediately get 1000 likes.
The sentence above has been tried and tested, becoming the reason for several dozen viral posts. Zohran Mamdani, one of New York City's Democratic mayoral candidates, has been at the center of internet fervor for months leading up to the Democratic primary election taking place Tuesday, June 24. From influencer endorsements to "extremely wearable" merch, Mamdani has led a digital campaign that caught eyes and mobilized voters.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, is the leading favorite in a race against Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor who resigned in disgrace back in 2021 following allegations of sexual harassment. A poll released on Monday shows Mamdani passing Cuomo in a ranked-choice voting simulation, with Mamdani winning an estimated 52 percent against Cuomo's 48 percent. The survey, conducted by Emerson College Polling, PIX11, and The Hill, found that support for Mamdani surged over the last five months, from 1 percent to 32 percent.
And it was over these last five months that millions of social media feeds were flooded by Mamdani's presence. People in New York City will recognize the facets of his campaign immediately: Mamdani's name written in blue-and-orange tone bubble letters; grainy, aesthetic video footage of the candidate walking the length of Manhattan on a warm Friday evening; interviews as he rides the subway; and TikTok speeches delivered in Bengali, Hindi, Spanish, each garnering thousands of likes.
In these posts across the internet, Mamdani highlights what he hopes to deliver to New Yorkers: rent freezes, city-subsidized grocery stores, fare-free buses, and universal childcare. The candidate has spoken out for trans youth and mental health, protested against the war in the Middle East, condemned ICE snatching New Yorkers off the streets, and suggested wealthy New York corporations could be taxed at higher rates.
And somehow, all of this has come packaged with charisma, humor, and a striking sense of sincerity. He speaks about his policies and ideas while carrying heart-shaped balloons through the city, interviewing voters outside Madison Square Garden, eating a burrito on the subway, and plunging into the water at Coney Island.
Is this how Mamdani won over young, online voters? Dr. Jess Rauchberg, a social media expert and an assistant professor of communication technologies at Seton Hall University, thinks so.
"Zohran’s campaign feels fresh and personal," says Dr. Rauchberg. "When the videos come up in a user’s FYP, it feels personal and intimate, like a friend talking to you. He’s not just feeding voters sound bites, he’s giving us concrete ideas on his policies and ways to get involved."
Media outlets have pointed out his social media use for months, with many focusing on the quality of production and his wide reach. "You couldn’t get on social media without seeing one of his well-produced videos pitching his vision," writes the AP. The City touts Mamdani as a "digital native", drawing in New Yorkers by "mixing big policy proposals with a little silliness." The New York Times described Mamdani as a "magnet for attention", managing to rise in polls "through a mix of social media savvy and a plain-spoken, everyman approach."
Supporters of Mamdani back both the message and the method. Online, Gen-Z and millennial voters, in particular, have voiced their support for his digital prowess and how effectively Mamdani has relayed his vision. "It's one of the most genius campaigns I've ever seen," said TikTok creator @chummertok in a video. "Not only is he making relatable content, it's objectively entertaining to watch."
His campaign has lent itself to TikTokkers churning out their own Mamdani-centric content. For instance, over 200 creators have made videos with an audio clip of Mamdani taking down Cuomo in a primary debate. Mamdani's words are heard over cheers: "I have never had to resign in disgrace. I have never cut Medicaid, I have never stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from the MTA, 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."
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With this strategy, it's little surprise that Mamdani appears to have cinched the youth vote. Among college graduates aged 18-34, 67 percent ranked Mamdani first, compared to Cuomo's 6 percent, according to a poll by the Manhattan Institute. However, the institute's poll still shows Cuomo will beat out Mamdani in both the primary and the general election in November. Whether that holds true — or whether Mamdani’s online strategy flips the script — remains to be seen.
The role of social media in elections over the last decade cannot be understated. But just as social media has won over voters and brought candidates to the finish line, it has also failed to bring tangible momentum to certain campaigns.
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Take America's 2024 presidential election. Mashable's Tim Marcin wrote of the 2024 election, "Today's presidential campaigns are Too Online, and it's to the point where real-life issues might get lost in the noise of memes and digital posturing." Democratic candidate Kamala Harris ran a noticeable social media campaign, one filled with memes and aligned with online trends. And while she gained traction amongst voters, there is a real risk that online engagement doesn't translate to meaningful action. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump used platforms like his very own Truth Social to push out misinformation and ultimately win over the disillusioned. Within the right-wing echo chamber online, Trump and his administration pulled favor with such posts.
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Mamdani's campaign falls in the realm of Extremely Online, but it's already surpassed the mistakes of political campaigns in the past. He has accomplished what Harris and other politicians, especially Democrats, have failed, by delivering both cohesiveness and authenticity. Politico suggests that Mamdani is achieving what politicians on the right have done in recent elections: winning over young people by creating connections online, in a way that Democrats have been "flailing" to achieve. Mamdani's messaging is clear, and his content is personable, likely creating a blueprint for future politicians in their online pursuits.
"We’re in an increasingly conservative media environment," says Dr. Rauchberg. "I’ve said before that politicians need to play the campaign game like influencers, and that’s something Zohran has done exceptionally well. Regardless of the outcome, he’s spread himself across platforms and balanced in-person and media appearances."
"I think there’s a lot politicians can learn from Zohran, especially for Dems," she says.
Crucially, the action of his campaign hasn't just taken place behind a screen. Mamdani posted on X to let us know that, on the eve of the primary election, his campaign volunteers managed to surpass knocking on over 1.5 million doors across the city. If he wins, it won't just be because of TikTok. But it's fair to say the internet was behind him.
