University of Kwazulu-Natal

Lessons From Zohran Mamdani S Historic Victory In Nyc

Bonisiwe Shabane
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lessons from zohran mamdani s historic victory in nyc

In a remarkable upset, progressive State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. Early polls showed Mamdani starting his campaign with around 1% support. Just six weeks before the June 24 election, his support was only at 11%, while Cuomo led with 49%. Three separate polls, conducted by Yale/YouGov, Marist College, and the Manhattan Institute within two weeks of the election, still showed Cuomo ahead by 12 points or more. Mamdani won the primary as the clear leader with 56% of the votes, totaling 545,334 votes. His campaign claimed that this was “the most votes any Democratic primary candidate has received in 36 years.” Cuomo received 44%, or 428,530 votes.

Although NYC is the largest city in the U.S., this election was not on a national stage. Jared Leopold, a Democratic strategist, summarized it well: “Communicating in a Democratic primary in New York City is very different from communicating in a swing district in Iowa.” For example, the white population makes... Nevertheless, a quick look at his initial support and his victory sharply contrasts with Vice President Kamala Harris’s initial support and loss. In roughly the same amount of time before Election Day for both Harris and Mamdani, Harris was 2% behind Donald Trump according to a New York Times/Siena College poll, and Mamdani was 38% behind... Mamdani won despite performing poorly with low-income voters, losing the majority of Black voters and criticizing Israel while showing sympathy for the Gaza Palestinians. All three conditions should have led to a Democratic candidate losing.

On November 4, 2025, New York City—the largest, richest, and perhaps most symbolically important city in America—made history. The election of Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist and Muslim, as the city’s next mayor marks a political and cultural inflection point not only for New York but for the nation. His triumph—securing more votes than any New York mayoral candidate since 1969—cannot be dismissed as a quirk of urban politics or a fluke of voter sentiment. It is a reflection of a shifting electorate, discontent with entrenched power and animated by the idea that government can —and should —serve all its people. In a political climate defined by cynicism, polarization, and billionaire dominance, Mamdani’s victory is a reminder that democracy still breathes—vigorously and defiantly—when a vision of justice, equity, and possibility inspires ordinary citizens. His rise from obscurity to the most powerful municipal office in America invites us to ask what this says about the state of American politics and what lessons both major parties—and the public—must draw...

Few could have predicted that a young state assemblyman from Queens—polling at just 1 percent less than a year ago—would end up sweeping every borough but Staten Island. His campaign was fueled not by billionaire donors or political machines but by grassroots enthusiasm, public financing, and an unrelenting focus on the material struggles of working families. Mamdani’s slogan, “This city is your city,” was more than rhetoric—it became a rallying cry for the underrepresented. His message connected across class, ethnicity, and religion, in a metropolis often defined by division. And unlike many who have sought to lead New York, he carried neither the air of elitism nor the shadow of corruption. His victory demonstrates that in an era of widespread alienation, voters crave authenticity over polish, principle over triangulation, and vision over fear.

It’s not just a victory for the left—it’s a vindication of civic engagement and public trust restored. On November 5, 2025, New York City witnessed a historic moment as 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist and proud Muslim, was elected as the city's new mayor—the youngest in over a century. His victory is not merely a local triumph but a potential bellwether for the Democratic Party as it faces unprecedented challenges. Just months prior, Mamdani was a little-known figure, polling at less than 1%. His rise was meteoric, culminating in garnering more votes than any candidate since 1969, surpassing even Michael Bloomberg's previous totals. What factors catalyzed this remarkable turnaround?

Mamdani's success, while not necessarily indicative of a nationwide trend, signifies a shift in political alliances. He united otherwise disparate groups—the working, middle, and upper-middle classes—against a backdrop of increasing economic inequality and political disillusionment. This emergent coalition reflects a growing demand for accountability from those in power. “This city is your city, and this democracy is yours, too,” Mamdani declared on election night, signifying a newfound ownership of civic engagement among New Yorkers. Despite his victory, skepticism looms over Mamdani's progressive agenda. Critics have framed his proposals as dangerously radical, despite many being adaptations of prior initiatives from former mayors.

Notably, his plans to reform the education system and address rent stabilization show a blend of progressive values tempered with pragmatic governance. Leftists and progressives throughout the country have much to learn from how democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani pulled off an unprecedented upset last night. Zohran Mamdani during an election night event in New York City on June 25, 2025. (Christian Monterrosa / Bloomberg via Getty Images) Jacobin‘s winter issue, “Municipal Socialism,” is out now. Follow this link to get a discounted subscription to our beautiful print quarterly.

After decades of defeats for working people and the Left, it almost felt like a dream to witness Zohran Mamdani make history last night. Sometimes the good guys win. As David Hogg wrote last night, “BREAKING: Not everything has to suck.” Absorbing the key lessons of this campaign is essential for the fights ahead, not just in New York City but across the United States. Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, right, and his wife, Rama Duwaji, react to supporters during an election night watch party, Tuesday in New York. Keren Carrión/NPR hide caption

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Zohran Mamdani will be the next mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim and person of South Asian descent — as well as the youngest in over a century — to... "The future is in our hands," Mamdani declared to roaring applause Tuesday night at a victory celebration in Brooklyn. "My friends, tonight we have toppled a political dynasty." The 34-year-old, Ugandan-born Democratic socialist defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an Independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in Tuesday's election, according to a race call by the Associated Press.

It's a remarkable ascent for Mamdani, who was a relatively unknown state assemblymember representing a district in Queens when he entered the crowded mayoral race last year. He went on to win June's Democratic primary by 12 percentage points, quickly becoming one of the country's most popular and polarizing politicians along the way. I have watched Zohran Mamdani’s almost 24-minute-long acceptance speech a few times since he delivered it last week following his historic win in the mayoral race for New York City. Mamdani started that speech off with a quote from Eugene Debs, an American socialist activist, trade unionist, and one of the founders of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), who served in the... “I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity,” Mamdani said. For as long as we can remember, the working people of New York have been told by the wealthy and well-connected that power does not belong in their hands.

Fingers bruised from lifting boxes off the warehouse floor. Palms calloused by delivery bike handlebars. Knuckles scarred from kitchen burns. These are not hands that have been allowed to hold power. THIS IS AN EXPANDED VERSION OF JACK MAYCOCK’S PIECE IN PR WEEK The most talked-about mayoral election in generations has come to a close: Zohran Mamdani, who polled at just 9% in the Democratic primary in January, will be the next mayor of New York.

It can’t be overstated how exceptional it is for a self-declared “democratic socialist” to win in the hub of 20th-century capitalism. New York might be more socially liberal than other parts of the US, but make no mistake: it’s no egalitarian utopia. So how did a 34-year-old Muslim democratic socialist go from political outsider to mayor of the richest city in the world? And can it be replicated, and what can progressive leaders across civil society take from this? Here are five lessons from one of the best political campaigns of the 21st century. For any outsider candidate, the electorate needs to understand the reason for your candidacy – and fast.

Democrat Zohran Mamdani's historic NYC mayoral victory marks a significant political realignment. His 24-minute victory speech outlined principles that political analysts say transcend traditional party lines—lessons about organizing, messaging, and connecting with working-class voters that both Democrats and Republicans must study. Zohran Mamdani delivered a 24-minute victory speech to supporters in Brooklyn after his projected win in the 2025 New York City mayoral election, marking a watershed moment in American urban politics. The Democratic candidate, running explicitly as a democratic socialist and Muslim candidate, toppled the Cuomo political dynasty and defeated the conventional wisdom that working-class voters would reject his unapologetic platform. “Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands, my friends.

We have toppled a political dynasty,” Mamdani declared to a roaring crowd of supporters who had invested more than 100,000 volunteer hours into the campaign. His victory represents not just a personal triumph but a comprehensive rejection of establishment politics, according to the candidate’s own framing. Mamdani positioned his win as a mandate for a fundamentally different approach to governance—one that centers working people and rejects what he characterized as politics serving “only the few.” Mamdani’s campaign succeeded against opponents with vastly greater financial resources by maintaining unwavering message discipline. His victory speech crystallized a single, repeated promise: making New York “a city we can afford.”

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