Within the past week, a city mayoral candidate — 33-year-old Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani from New York — has become a household name across the United States. After his Democratic primary upset against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on June 24, Mamdani’s campaign has received a ton of attention, with everyone from celebrities to random people in Arkansas rooting for him to become the next mayor of NYC.
But not all of the attention has been positive. Of course, the majority of conservatives aren’t going to support him (he’s the opposition, after all) but even within the Democratic party — especially among older, more traditional voters and leaders — there is strong concern over Mamdani’s leftist policy ideas and relative inexperience in politics. However, those are actually some key reasons Gen Z Democrats — who are being credited with much of Mamdani’s primary success — are flocking to him.
“I love him!” Melissa Lee, a 27-year-old New Yorker who currently lives in Pittsburgh, tells Her Campus. “I think Zohran has so many great policies and ideas [such as] affordable housing, fare free busing, no cost childcare, taxing the 1%, and trans healthcare.”
New York City resident Leela de Paula, 24, who voted for Mamdani in the primary, agrees. “His platform is thoughtful, serious, and urgently needed in the city.”
But Mamdani’s not gaining favor among Gen Zers on the left just because of what he’s promising to do for New York City — it’s the promise of the change he could bring to the entire country if he wins. Below, Gen Z Democrats in and around New York City help explain the sudden Mamdani hype among their peers across the country.
Gen Z Dems See Mamdani’s Success As A Switch-Up
After former Vice President Kamala Harris lost the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump, many progressive Gen Zers were filled with sadness, anger, and fear. Now, with Trump’s administration attacking many of the issues that are most important to Gen Zers, many young people have felt like their Democratic representatives aren’t doing enough to push back.
“I’ve only ever been a Dem, but it’s been frustrating for the past few years,” Lee says. “Truthfully, I feel like the party needs a huge overhaul — I would love to see fresh faces, new tactics, new policies … Ideally, I would really like to see something fresh and new, circa the ’08 Obama election.”
Courtney*, a 22-year-old from Rochester, New York, notes the lack of diversity among Democratic leaders. “It’s important for the party to amplify and elevate BIPOC individuals or underrepresented identities to political leadership for the party’s future.”
Many see a potential Mamdani win as a beacon of hope for a shift from traditional to progressive leadership, a shift from older to younger representatives, and a shift toward more diverse leadership. “I hope his win will put the Democratic party back on track to help change the country for the better,” 26-year-old Sam* from Poughkeepsie, New York, says.
Unlike Older Generations, They’re Not Afraid Of The Word “Socialist”
Much of Mamdani’s platform is about prioritizing affordable living in New York, making NYC a sanctuary city for the LGBTQIA+ community, protecting and expanding reproductive rights, and uplifting immigrants and the working class.
“He’s standing up for things that matter a lot to young people, especially as we start to get older and consider our futures,” Lee says, pointing to examples like housing and childcare. She says many of the issues he’s advocating for are her “wish list” issues — aka “things I would love to see, but felt would be somewhat impossible.”
These issues also closely align with Mamdani’s Democratic Socialist ideals — something many young progressives don’t seem to have a problem with, but acknowledge others do. “People get really scared of the word ‘socialist’ because of preconceived notions and assumptions,” Lee says.
Stacy* a 23-year-old NYC resident, acknowledges this could be a detriment to Mamdani. While she’s into many of Mamdani’s plans, she expresses doubts about his ability to cut through the Democratic establishment with such radical beliefs and plans. “The party is still run by old rich elites who don’t want to lose to working class progressives,” Stacy says. “Now that they know these candidates can win, they will probably try to slow them down more and promote more centrist candidates to maintain their hold on the party.”
On the flip side, other young Dems believe this kind of radicalism is what’s needed in order to get more voters and leaders involved in the party. “More socialist policies could divide the party, but also empower a large grassroots community of liberal people,” Courtney says. “I think the Democratic Party needs to mobilize more voters in grassroots campaigns to reverse the conservative spiral.”
She also adds her excitement about the thing many establishment Dems fear: “I think Mamdani will bring revolutionary change to the Democratic party.”
Mamdani’s Campaign Speaks Gen Z’s Language
Mamdani announced his campaign in October 2024; in February 2025, he was only polling at 1%. However, as of the morning after the election, he led first-choice votes at 43.5%, and when final tallies were counted on July 1, he won the primary with 56% of the vote.
Mamdani hasn’t walked back any of his stances between the fall of 2024 until now — so, what changed in the past few months that caused him to become a viral sensation among so many Gen Zers?
For starters, Mamdani is meeting Gen Zers where they are — online. His social media presence is a masterclass in how to get this generation’s attention. “Super random, but his branding really caught my eye!” Lee says. “The bright colors, digital posters, and font — I originally found out about him on Instagram and I was scrolling through IG stories when I saw him.”
Mamdani’s primary campaign was full of moments that had the organic virality that many establishment Dems have been trying to capture for a while now, and he did it with authenticity and personality. Whether he was participating in street interviews or walking the length of Manhattan, Mamdani made it a point to share his pride in his heritage, his personal life, and his city.
“He has effectively communicated that his audience is the common people, not the politicians in Albany, the wealthy in sky-high condo towers, or mega-wealthy corporations,” de Paula says. “He speaks to the people directly, and [goes] the extra mile by traveling around NYC meeting with people on the ground. It is rare to find a politician like this.”
In a generation of influencers, high-profile shows of support for a candidate matter greatly. Leading up to the election, Mamdani received game-changing endorsements from two of Gen Z’s favorite politicians on the left: Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He even participated in a successful cross-endorsement campaign with fellow candidate Brad Lander, helping voters feel a sense of unity in their shared values versus the typical “us versus them” mentality of political races. Plus, many Gen Z-respected celebrities have shown up for him as well, including Emily Ratajkowski, Laverne Cox, Bowen Yang, and Ava DuVernay.
Of course, Gen Z is not a monolith — not even Gen Z Dems are. Mamdani is not going to be every single voter’s favorite politician. But the sheer amount of young voters who are rallying behind him — not just in his city, but across the country — is undeniable. Now, with Mamdani officially entering the mayoral race as the Democratic candidate, all eyes are on what the party will take away from his candidacy — and if he wins in November’s general election, his leadership as mayor.
*Names have been changed.