He jumped into the frigid winter waters of Coney Island to make a pun about rent freezes. He visited food trucks to explain how city bureaucracy fuels “Halalflation.”
He walked the length of Manhattan to show New Yorkers they “deserve a mayor they can see, hear, and even yell at.”
Those viral videos helped propel Zohran Mamdani and his left-wing platform to an upset victory in New York City’s mayoral election.
Now, the 34-year-old democratic socialist—sworn in on January 1st—faces the formidable challenge of translating his digital momentum into effective governance.
Political experts told the BBC that Mamdani succeeded by using social media to craft an image of authenticity and joy, engaging a generation of young voters accustomed to “doom-scrolling.”
His next test will be keeping those supporters invested as he moves from campaigning to the complex reality of running America’s largest city.
By James Kisoo
