Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani at his primary election party, New York, June 25, 2025 (AP)

When Zohran Mamdani entered the race for Mayor of New York City, the political class laughed at a young, left-wing young Democrat taking on Andrew Cuomo, the former Governor of New York State.

Mamdani carried all the baggage in a Trumpian America — Uganda-born of Indian descent, a Muslim, a democratic socialist from Queens —against Cuomo’s comeback, backed by billionaires, business lobbyists, and much of New York’s political machine.

Despite the sexual harassment complaints that forced his resignation in 2021, Cuomo had the family dynasty, name recognition, money, institutional support and, most crucially, the media narrative. Mamdani had social media campaigning, young volunteers, a clear message, and grassroots momentum – but the odds appeared to be stacked against him.

As the votes in the Democratic primary were counted on Tuesday, Mamdani flipped both the odds and the script. Beating Cuomo by 7%, despite being outspent almost 10:1, Mamdani delivered a victory that went beyond electoral politics. It was a warning shot at big money,
fear-mongering and the centrist establishment on both sides of the Atlantic.

If progressive politics can get its act together, learning and enhancing its tactics and above all putting out a clear message – then the assumptions of an anti-“woke”, insular, Trumpist, and divided America can be upended.

Messaging That Refused to Flinch

From the outset, Mamdani’s campaign refused to retreat to the language of “electability” or soundbites approved by focus groups. Where others would have pivoted to the center to avoid scaring
the media or offending donors, Mamdani went in another direction — straight, sharp, and unapologetic.

Free buses. Rent freezes. Public childcare. Taxing the rich. And, crucially, an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Days before the election, Mamdani with clarity, conviction, and empathy:

New York families are being squeezed literally out of the city they built.

That’s why I’m running on free buses, a rent freeze, and public childcare to give relief where people feel it most. We can fund all this by taxing the ultra-rich those who’ve seen their fortunes
double while working-class lives get harder.

And yes, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza isn’t a political liability, it’s a moral necessity. Justice abroad and justice at home go hand in hand.

These were not vague left-field utopian dreams buried deep in policy documents. They were front-and-center commitments on posters, in speeches, on social media reels, and in interviews with both friendly and hostile media.

His opponents didn’t need to dig to find where Mamdani stood — he made his stances impossible to ignore. He did not just reject the anti-semitism smears against him but also exposed them as cynical tactics to weaponize fear and to silence a Muslim candidate demanding justice He highlighted the attacks that go unchallenged to become dangerously normalized in political discourse.

What really set the campaign apart was its control of the narrative before others could define it. Mamdani’s team understood that in modern politics, the first story to land is the one that sticks. Anticipating how Cuomo’s backers would paint him as a reckless radical, Mamdani described the choice for voters: “This election isn’t about left versus right. It’s about the billionaires
versus the rest of us.”

This was classic political framing, but done with rare discipline and without a hint of apology, something progressive voices don’t do often.

Digital Media With Old-School Organizing

Mamdani’s team knew their audience and went to it. They created videos in Bangla to attract the Bangladeshi vote. They used Bollywood-style dialogue, assisted by their candidate as the son of legendary film director Mira Nair, to persuade people how to vote.
While Cuomo’s campaign pumped millions into television ads and glossy mailshots, Mamdani’s team focused on platforms used by working-class New Yorkers, especially younger and digitally-active voters.

Mamdani’s team used Instagram and TikTok to detail Cuomo’s donor links to property developers, racking up more than a million views in days. Instagram reels captured the candidate’s impromptu subway speeches, humanizing him in ways no press release ever could. His social media team turned every smear and every attack ad into an opportunity to reinforce their core narrative: “We’re up against the rich and they’re scared.” Mamdani’s campaign wasn’t based on reacting to attacks but on packaging those attacks as opportunities.

The online buzz directly fed into one of the most impressive ground campaigns New York has seen in recent years. More than 46,000 volunteers hit the streets, knocking on doors and having face-to-face conversations. These were not abstract policy discussions: they were hyper-local, personal and rooted in people’s everyday struggles with rent, transit costs, and policing.

The digital campaign built awareness. The ground campaign encouraged action. Together, they brought mobilization.

Smears, Fear, and the Power of Naming The Attack

Mamdani’s stance on Palestine and his democratic socialist politics inevitably attracted smears. Cuomo’s surrogates and right-wing media outlets threw accusations of anti-semitism, allegations of divisiveness, and the mantra of “soft on crime” at him. Super PACs and perhaps even dark money flooded voters’ social feeds with fear-driven ads, painting Mamdani as a dangerous radical linked to “hate groups”. They subtly told voters, “He’s a Muslim, don’t you know.”

Rather than retreating, issuing mealy-mouthed clarifications, or responding “You’re a Racist”, Mamdani identified the attacks: “This is a billionaire-funded campaign to scare you. To make you think that asking for dignity and justice makes you dangerous.”

His team did not just rely on the messaging. They worked with allies from organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, who publicly defended Mamdani and dismantled the anti-semitism smears with facts and first-hand testimony.

Mamdani handled the constant questions about anti-semitism confidence, clarity, and a well-structured defense, leaving no room for ambiguity. His forthright, assured answers were in stark contrast to the reactions of the UK’s Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, which were often defensive, lengthy, and muddled as he tried and failed to become Prime Minister.

The strategy worked. The smears did not stick. Instead, they exposed the desperation of Cuomo’s backers.

Empathy with Edge

Mamdani told the human story with a power rarely deployed by politicians.

Many progressive campaigns, both in the US and here in the UK, fall into one of two traps. Either they go too soft, being overly concerned with a respectability to appease centrist commentators, or they swing so far into anger and confrontation that they alienate potential supporters outside the activist bubble.

Empathy wasn’t a branding tool for Mamdani. It was the foundation of his politics. It was part of every speech, every video, and every doorstep conversation.

Stop Playing Defense

So what can all of us, not just Democrats and not just progressives, learn from the Mamdani campaign?

First: stop fearing the media. The smears will be thrown whether you play it safe or not. The issue is whether you’re prepared to counter them with your narrative. Do not be led by their agenda but set your own.

Second: be crystal clear about who you’re fighting for and who you’re fighting against. Mamdani didn’t let voters forget that billionaires were pouring millions into Cuomo’s campaign — but he also had the human story to which voters could relate.

Third: invest in both digital and doorstep. Too often, campaigns treat their social media and ground teams like separate entities. Mamdani’s campaign showed how they must work together, drawing from and amplifying the other.

Fourth: get the tone right. Be human. Be real. Be angry about injustice but don’t let that turn into bitterness or isolation. Turn it into hope and action.

Finally: name the big money. Name the power behind the attacks. Voters may not trust politicians, but they hate being lied to. When you show them who’s really pulling the strings, they respond.

Mamdani was authentic all the way.

This Was More Than a Victory. This Was a Template.

Mamdani didn’t just defeat Cuomo. He dismantled a political model built on fear, big money, and media manipulation. He showed that you can be unapologetic, bold, rooted in community, and still win. He showed that the answer to fear politics isn’t to play nice — it is to organize harder, communicate smarter, and speak to people as adults with real stakes in the outcome.

For progressive voices, sometimes the refusal to learn from your opponents is costly. Stop playing defense. Stop apologizing for
having values. Stop treating electoral politics like damage control.

Mamdani’s campaign wasn’t about rejecting populist tactics outright but reclaiming them for progressive change. Like Trump, Mamdani tapped into widespread anger and frustration with the establishment, clearly identifying the “elite” as billionaires and corporate interests rigging the system. But unlike the right-wing populists who weaponize division and fear, Mamdani used that same energy to build unity, empathy, and hope.

Populism is here to stay and Mamdani’s victory proves it can be harnessed for justice rather than fear. Start building movements that are disciplined, digital, deeply human, and ruthless in exposing those who are dangerous while offering change backed by facts rather than vibes.

If progressives want to win, it’s time to stop asking for permission and start taking power. Offer a campaign set for leadership and not opposition.

As Zohran Mamdani showed, winning an election is better than just winning the argument.