Zohran Mamdani Won the Internet

Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old Democratic Socialist who won a commanding upset victory in New York City’s Democratic primary last night, had already won long ago in the eyes of the Internet.

Many pundits and pollsters forecast an inevitable triumph for the scandal-scarred Andrew Cuomo—who resigned as New York’s governor in 2021 after facing sexual harassment allegations from multiple women—on the basis of his name recognition and experience. But Cuomo’s campaign, despite his billionaire-funded super Pac blasting ads over and over again on TV, was never able to make any headway organically, unlike the campaign of his main competitor, Mamdani. The New York State assemblyman and former rapper used social media to aptly highlight his telegenic smile, progressive values, and erudite sense of humor, which not only captivated audiences online but motivated them to volunteer in person and vote despite sweltering, record-breaking heat yesterday.

Mamdani, who is on a first-name basis with New Yorkers, revolutionized the race before he even entered it. Prior to his official announcement in October 2024, he did a soft launch criticizing Mayor Eric Adams on Subway Takes, the oft-viral account that has a mass following online—but also enough legitimacy to do official partnerships with the MTA. Commenters in July already supported him, with one saying, “Zohran for mayor!” Mamdani’s campaign transcended expectations in the mayoral election, and his primary victory—a surprise only to those not paying attention online—is ripe with lessons that leftists can emulate to help create grassroots organizing online for other races in a way that can translate to tangible victories.

From his first foray into the campaign, Mamdani has consistently outperformed his competitors with his social media usage in a way that is reminiscent of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s groundbreaking victory against Joe Crowley in 2018—but on a much larger scale. His humor, wit, candor, and linguistic abilities were on full display, alongside his telegenic face and stylish wardrobe. (He is the only male candidate with multiple rings and jewelry, which, while himself solidly millennial, acts as a nod to Gen-Z supporters.)

In January, he campaigned at Coney Island’s Polar Bear Plunge, but added a working-class message as he jumped into the frigid temperatures: “I’m freezing… your rent as the next mayor of New York City,” he said in videos that ran on multiple social media platforms, including Facebook. He did collaborations with celebrities, including Cynthia Nixon, who ran against Cuomo in 2018. On Election Day, he shared a video from Bernie Sanders encouraging people to vote for Mamdani despite the record-high temperatures, as well as multiple videos with model and author Emily Ratajkowski, who was wearing a “Hot Girls for Zohran” T-shirt.

But while Mamdani has consistently done well online and built a strong and supportive community, he wasn’t taken as seriously by pundits and even other candidates until right before the election. In March, The New York Times called him a “TikTok savant,” lavishing praise on him when it seemed safe to assume social media wouldn’t translate to real numbers at the polls. By June, the Times was concerned with the assembly member’s lack of experience—a sign, despite the attacks being thrown at him, that he was actually becoming a front-runner. The editorial board, in a piece titled “Our Advice to Voters in a Vexing Race for New York Mayor,” wrote, “Mr. Mamdani would also bring less relevant experience than perhaps any mayor in New York history.”

In many elections, social media doesn’t always translate into actual electoral victories. But Mamdani’s win is prescient and emblematic of a new era where the Internet not only represents reality but can predict it. For months, Mamdani supporters have demanded a win and it has finally materialized. They turned out to be right—and virtually all traditional pollsters (at least until the very end when some polls finally caught up to the reality of his movement) were wrong and didn’t see Mamdani’s success even though the likes, comments, and celebrity collaborations were there on Instagram for all to see.

This new kind of politics, one that reveals an enormous generational divide, marks a fresh era for campaigns, politicians, and technology. The identity of a politician, with an online and offline self, is no longer justifiably separate; to win large races, it is clear that an Internet persona can be more important than PAC-funded TV ads. Social media videos don’t require billionaire funding. Success online simply requires an engaged audience.