University of Kwazulu-Natal

These Voters Helped Secure Zohran Mamdani S Surprise Victory

Bonisiwe Shabane
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these voters helped secure zohran mamdani s surprise victory

Armin Thomas and Lakshya Jain are partners at Split Ticket, an election data analysis firm. Zohran Mamdani pulled off a historic win in New York City by surging with groups that Democrats have been sliding with in recent years: infrequent, young, Hispanic and Asian voters. NEW YORK − They filled the dance floor in front of a DJ playing remixes of Bad Bunny’s “Nueva Yol,” classic New York hip hop like 50 Cent’s "Many Men" and Afrobeats. Here at Brooklyn’s Paramount Theater, these were the voters who helped power New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory. Younger. Racially diverse.

And enthusiastic for a new generation of leadership in America’s largest city. Located on the border of the rapidly developing Downtown Brooklyn and the once majority-Black, now heavily gentrified Fort Greene neighborhood, the 2,700-capacity theater is in one of the areas where progressive young professionals drove... On the floor, while Mamdani's supporters danced, throngs of media both domestic and foreign searched for interviews and New York politicos chatted with one another. Behind the podium were flags for the city of New York and a large screen for Spectrum News 1, the local New York television station. Zohran Mamdani’s upset win in the Democratic mayoral primary was driven by voters in crunchy granola Brooklyn neighborhoods — but the socialist also made surprising gains among black and Hispanic New Yorkers. The 33-year-old Queens assemblyman wiped the floor with former Gov.

Andrew Cuomo in the brownstone liberal bastions of Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene and the surrounding, predominantly white areas, early data from Tuesday’s primary shows. But Mamdani also fared better than predicted with voters who don’t traditionally back Democratic socialists. He made inroads in black and Hispanic neighborhoods across the city where Cuomo expected to coast to victory on the backing of more middle-of-the-road Democratic voters, said John Mollenkopf, director of the Center for... “Mamdani developed a much broader coalition than you might have expected from the fact he was a (Democratic Socialists of America) candidate,” he said. Our nonprofit newsroom relies on readers like you to power investigations like these. Join the community that powers NYC’s independent local news.

Even after months of organizing 250 volunteers to canvas for Zohran Mamdani in the city’s South Asian neighborhoods, Jagpreet Singh was stunned to see how those communities turned out for the 33-year-old Democratic Socialist... “We saw, like, all of our neighborhoods just glowing,” said Singh, the political director of the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean political organizing group DRUM Beats, recalling the moment when a researcher at Mamdani’s election... “It was unbelievable. I was basically floating in the air at that point. I’m not gonna get my voice back for another day or two.” Forwarded this email?

Sign up for free to have it sent directly to your inbox. NEW YORK MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI ON ELECTION NIGHT. (MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO VIA GETTY IMAGES) The Democratic primary was on June 24, and — it looks like we could have a socialist mayor. We need to talk about that.

Thanks for reading! The Democrats have spoken: Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old socialist Assemblymember from Queens, will be their nominee in November’s mayoral election—a result made clear when former governor Andrew Cuomo conceded on election night. City Comptroller Brad Lander, emerging from the party’s progressive technocrat wing, was the only other significant candidate left, his base overlaps and his mutual endorsement with Mamdani ensures an easy majority for the frontrunner... The New York City primary proved that ranked-choice voting can help build coalitions among parts of the left. Independent journalism at Truthout faces unprecedented authoritarian censorship. If you value progressive media, please make a year-end donation today.

In the final sprint leading up to Zohran Mamdani’s historic win on Tuesday, the New York City mayoral primary took on an unusually refreshing tone: one of cooperation. Shortly before early voting started, Mamdani, a state assemblymember and unabashed democratic socialist, cross-endorsed with City Comptroller Brad Lander. It was a good match. In spots where 33-year-old Mamdani’s political resume was thin, Lander, a longtime local progressive leader, could add gravitas. What Lander lacked in innovation and charisma, polling in a distant third place, Mamdani had in spades. And by appearing side-by-side at rallies, in social media videos, and on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” the two could work to dispel the lie that Muslim and Jewish New Yorkers need be...

Their overarching message was clear: Vote for both of us, but keep disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo off your ballot. This collaborative approach to campaigning was enabled by New York City’s ranked-choice voting system, which voters overwhelmingly adopted for primaries and special elections in a 2019 ballot referendum. New York’s system allows voters to rank their top five candidates rather than choose just one. If no candidate receives the majority of votes, ballot tabulation continues in rounds, with the last-place candidate eliminated each round. When a voter’s top candidate is eliminated, their second-choice candidate gets their vote, and so on.

When Zohran Mamdani won the 2025 New York City mayoral race, it wasn’t just a political upset — it was a reconfiguration of the cit… Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City primary was “a powerful reminder that when young people are mobilized and energized, they can shape election outcomes,” said CIRCLE researcher Ruby Belle Booth. Photo: Shutterstock His campaign drew a surge of new voters, including young people. Will the youth vote help shape the 2026 midterms, too? Last night, Zohran Mamdani defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to win New York City’s Democratic mayoral election.

The city’s young voting base is being credited with boosting Mamdani to victory in the primary and general elections. A new analysis by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life highlights young people’s impact on the mayoral race. Over 1 in 4 youth voted in the 2025 New York City mayoral race—a high level of youth participation in a municipal election—and 75% of those young voters supported Mamdani. The victory by the 34-year-old Mamdani and the hand that voters aged 18-29 had in it raise questions about general trends in that demographic. Does this primary say anything about future major elections and the role that youth will play?

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Armin Thomas And Lakshya Jain Are Partners At Split Ticket,

Armin Thomas and Lakshya Jain are partners at Split Ticket, an election data analysis firm. Zohran Mamdani pulled off a historic win in New York City by surging with groups that Democrats have been sliding with in recent years: infrequent, young, Hispanic and Asian voters. NEW YORK − They filled the dance floor in front of a DJ playing remixes of Bad Bunny’s “Nueva Yol,” classic New York hip hop l...

And Enthusiastic For A New Generation Of Leadership In America’s

And enthusiastic for a new generation of leadership in America’s largest city. Located on the border of the rapidly developing Downtown Brooklyn and the once majority-Black, now heavily gentrified Fort Greene neighborhood, the 2,700-capacity theater is in one of the areas where progressive young professionals drove... On the floor, while Mamdani's supporters danced, throngs of media both domestic ...

Andrew Cuomo In The Brownstone Liberal Bastions Of Brooklyn Heights,

Andrew Cuomo in the brownstone liberal bastions of Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene and the surrounding, predominantly white areas, early data from Tuesday’s primary shows. But Mamdani also fared better than predicted with voters who don’t traditionally back Democratic socialists. He made inroads in black and Hispanic neighborhoods across the city where Cuomo expected to coast to victory on the backi...

Even After Months Of Organizing 250 Volunteers To Canvas For

Even after months of organizing 250 volunteers to canvas for Zohran Mamdani in the city’s South Asian neighborhoods, Jagpreet Singh was stunned to see how those communities turned out for the 33-year-old Democratic Socialist... “We saw, like, all of our neighborhoods just glowing,” said Singh, the political director of the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean political organizing group DRUM Beats, recal...

Sign Up For Free To Have It Sent Directly To

Sign up for free to have it sent directly to your inbox. NEW YORK MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI ON ELECTION NIGHT. (MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO VIA GETTY IMAGES) The Democratic primary was on June 24, and — it looks like we could have a socialist mayor. We need to talk about that.