What do you imagine a political candidate uses their social media for? Following friends and celebrities, maybe keeping updated on news – how about running a winning multi – million dollar political campaign?
All over the United States, state elections are in full swing. In some places, like Virginia, the competition could not be less intense. However, elsewhere (like New York City) the story was radically different. As the popularity of current mayor Eric Adams plummeted, everyone wanted to know – who would lead the people into the next term? Would it be a new, young face, or would three term mayor veteran Andrew Cuomo step back up to re – run and continue his mayoral dynasty?
As the city scrambled to find out, the question was seemingly answered on its own as viral videos began to pop up of 34 – year – old Zohran Mamdani, reaching far more than just the citizens of New York.
A video of Mamdani diving into the water on Coney Island to participate in the well – known city tradition called the “Polar Bear Plunge” garnered hundreds of thousands of views. In the TikTok, Mamdani stands barefoot on the beach, and uses a clever play on words to pull his audience in. “I’m freezing . . . Your rent! Let’s plunge into the details!” He exclaimed before joining the city in the plunge in a full suit and tie.
However, in early February, Mamdani tied another candidate for last place in likelihood of winning the race in a democratic poll – while he was viral, he wasn’t a prospective mayor in any sense. So how did he rise so quickly to victory?
The answer? Mamdani and his team pumped out content that was both relatable and informative. They painted him as a man of the people – visiting bodegas and food trucks, eating food with his hands, rapping about inflation prices, and talking to locals on the street. Another TikTok shows Mamdani in front of what appears to be the set of “The Bachelor,” asking: “New York – will you accept this rose?”
By April, Mamdani was listed as a top candidate for the election, neck and neck with prospective winner Andrew Cuomo.
But what differentiated Mamdani from Cuomo on social media? From the perspective of the naked eye, their campaigns are fairly similar. In the end, it comes down to two things – content and relatability.
So let’s compare – Jacobin Magazine looked into the statistics behind their posts compared to numbers. Mamdani’s videos were, on average, twice as long as Cuomo’s, and packed full of more content – when looking for key words like “rent,” “childcare” and “cost of living,” Mamdani dominated Cuomo’s numbers, his average being 4 times for Cuomo’s zero. And Mamdani’s videos actually aren’t polished, especially at the start of his campaign. His first video features his phone in a washing machine, which he opens to start the video and speaks to the phone sitting on the ground. In another video, which is much more structured and has obvious funding, Mamdani is walking through a local grocery store, discussing opinions and using simple but effective graphics to explain his policy, and the plans he has to execute them. Cuomo’s closest counterpart of this video depicts him helping citizens, filmed on a nice camera, obviously touched up, and with no actual discussion of policy – just visuals. In their first thirty videos alone, Mamdani mentions policy 13/30 times, while Cuomo only mentions it once.
When Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral election on Nov. 4, it revealed multitudes about how we, in this new digital age, intake information, and the power media holds. Mamdani knew this – he used platforms like Instagram and TikTok to quite literally build himself up from the ground.
“He’s just, like, an icon, he’s everywhere, but, like, in a good way. He advocates for himself,” junior Cora Ecklund explained when asked why, in her opinion, Mamdani was so viral. Mamdani spoke to the younger generation of America – he understood not only their needs but the easiest way to reach them. In doing so, he gave them a source of inspiration. By “advocating for himself,” Mamdani serves as a reminder that young people’s voices can be heard, and that hard work pays off. He is an inspiration to the millions of kids of color in America, especially at Bellarmine.
Sophomore Irene Armanious shared that because she saw a video of Mamdani speaking Arabic, which is her first language, it made her feel seen and made him memorable to her.
Ryan Kohles, another sophomore, agreed with Armanious. “We need more people of color in higher positions of power in this nation,” Kohles asserted. He said that Mamdani gives him hope that more people like him will arise in the next few years.
However, Mamdani’s charisma and inspiration would have been devoid without his virality. While in previous years, it was impossible to win an election as a new candidate, let alone in your first race, social media makes it possible to create a name for yourself with no basis of wealth or connections, and he proves that. This election shows a turning point in our world – one where social media can quite literally determine a political election. Zohran Mamdani represents the new era of fresh faces, new ideas, and hope in the future generations taking power in America.
