How Did Mamdani Win? 5 Factors that Turned the Race Upside Down in New York

SadaNews: In a political scene that was unexpected just months ago, Zahra Mamdani turned the tables on his opponents, surpassing opinion polls that placed him at the bottom of the list, making history as the first Muslim to lead New York City. His victory was not just an electoral surprise but a manifestation of a deep transformation in voters' priorities within the Democratic Party, where issues of living costs and social justice took center stage, surpassing traditional experience and established political figures. How did this progressive politician achieve what seemed impossible?

The American newspaper The Hill identified 5 reasons that it said were crucial to this outcome:

First: The cost of living issue was the most important

While Cuomo focused on issues of security and crime, Mamdani made the affordability of New Yorkers' expenses the centerpiece of his campaign, using slogans like "A city we can afford" and "Affordable housing for all."

Second: A clear and consistent message

Mamdani's campaign was characterized by the consistency of its message from the start, which was to defend the working class and make life easier.

Unlike previous Democratic campaigns, he did not appear ambiguous about his goals or positions, to the extent that some former supporters of current President Donald Trump backed this democratic socialist’s campaign due to the clarity of his proposals.

Third: Experience was not important

Cuomo tried to present himself as a seasoned administrative expert and attacked Mamdani for lacking executive experience.

But Mamdani used this to his advantage, depicting himself as a new face rejecting the old political system, in a speech reminiscent of Trump's 2016 campaign in terms of rejecting the established political institutions.

Fourth: Widespread and unconventional outreach

Mamdani made sure to appear everywhere, from press conferences to social media and even nightlife events.

He held a special event for "influencers" that attracted over 31,000 live streams, suddenly appeared at a nightclub in Brooklyn where he addressed attendees, and even broadcast his ads on the conservative Fox News channel, an unusual move for a progressive candidate.

Fifth: Leveraging leftist energy and grassroots mobilization

His campaign relied on the renewed energy within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, supported by unions, volunteers, and small donors. While analysts pointed out that Mamdani's model "suits New York specifically", they described his campaign as one of the most successful modern progressive campaigns.

The newspaper quoted what it described as one of the Democratic strategists commenting on Mamdani's method of rallying support for him: "Whether you love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him," adding, "When we say we need to reshape the rules of the game, we need to follow this kind of rule, not what we have relied on in the past years."

Observers see that Mamdani's victory was not just a personal triumph but a signal of a shift within progressive politics in America, where issues like affordable housing and living costs have taken precedence over traditional political experience and old figures like Andrew Cuomo.