ZOHRAN Mamdani鈥檚 election as New York City鈥檚 first Muslim and youngest mayor in a century marks a dramatic turning point in US politics. At just 34, the Ugandan-born, South Asian, self-proclaimed democratic socialist defeated billionaire-backed opponents and a deeply rooted political establishment to win by a commanding margin.
Yet, many of us had not even heard of him before 2024. In little more than a year, Mamdani managed to be everywhere, both online and offline. From memes to interviews to reels, his journey to becoming New York鈥檚 mayor was not just political. It was cultural, creative and profoundly instructive. His campaign became a masterclass in communication, branding and authenticity.
Mamdani鈥檚 victory was more than political. It was moral and ideological. He proved that conviction, sincerity and community engagement can still triumph over money and manipulation. At a time when the Democratic Party often appeared tired and overly cautious, Mamdani brought something refreshingly simple: belief.
His campaign was filled with joy, moral clarity and confidence. He refused to play safe or rely on carefully tested messages. Instead, he focused on issues that mattered most to ordinary New Yorkers: affordability, dignity and inclusion. His promise to 鈥榤ake New York more affordable鈥� was a line he repeated with conviction, simple, human and relatable enough that even a schoolchild could understand. It was not just a slogan. It was a mirror held up to the disappointment of millions.
Like many, I am deeply invested in global and local politics. Yet, I found myself following this election with unusual fascination, almost like watching a Netflix series unfold. His campaign videos felt rooted, his tone human and his storytelling consistent. That is when it hit me. This was not just politics. This was a communication revolution.
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Campaign strategy
MAMDANI built his campaign like a social movement rather than a traditional political operation. From the beginning, he invested in grass-roots organising, working with the Working Families Party and the Democratic Socialists of America. His campaign combined door-to-door fieldwork with creative, audience-specific digital content.
He understood the power of distribution and platform-native storytelling. On Instagram, his team shared short, emotional reels and vibrant carousels highlighting community interactions. On YouTube, it released longer, documentary-style pieces that captured the depth of his work. On Facebook, the tone was mixed: conversational, personal, and accessible. He did not just cross-post content. He repurposed it, customising tone, format and length for each platform.
Even when billionaire donors like Michael Bloomberg and Bill Ackman funded attack adverts against him, Mamdani did not resort to bitterness. He responded with optimism, empathy and confidence. By the time former governor Andrew Cuomo entered the race as an 鈥榠ndependent centrist,鈥� Mamdani鈥檚 authenticity had already built unshakable public trust.
He leaned into the power of the underdog narrative, a timeless storytelling device that evokes empathy and emotional investment. Here was an immigrant who become a US citizen barely a decade ago, now standing up to billionaire-backed politicians on behalf of working-class New Yorkers. It echoed the archetypal stories that we have always rooted for, from Rocky Balboa to Barack Obama, the ordinary person defying extraordinary odds. Mamdani transformed 鈥榰s versus them鈥� into a unifying force, turning audiences into believers and spectators into supporters.
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Power of communication
AT THE heart of Mamdani鈥檚 success was his ability to communicate with honesty and warmth. Unlike many politicians who try to please everyone, he spoke with conviction and clarity. His authenticity was not curated. It was consistent.
He embraced his past rather than hiding it. Before politics, Mamdani had a brief hip-hop career under the name of 鈥楳r Cardamom.鈥� Instead of scrubbing that from the internet, he acknowledged it and, even, joked about it. When so many politicians try to polish their image into perfection, Mamdani鈥檚 openness felt refreshing. He reminded people that being human is more powerful than being flawless.
He also turned weaknesses into strengths. When one of his opponents publicly misspelled his name, Mamdani re-framed it into a statement about identity and belonging: 鈥極ur names are misspelt because you think we are outsiders. Time for that to change.鈥� It was clever, emotional and bold 鈥� a perfect example of how re-framing criticism can create solidarity.
His message of affordability did not come from a think tank or consultant. It came from listening. In interviews, Mamdani mentioned that the phrase 鈥榓ffordability issues鈥� kept coming up during his street conversations with ordinary New Yorkers. Instead of imposing his agenda, he absorbed theirs. He listened more than he talked and the people鈥檚 concerns became his campaign鈥檚 heartbeat.
He also mastered the art of cultural relevance. In one reel, he spoke in Hindi. In another, in broken Bangla. Elsewhere, in Arabic, inside a grocery store. These gestures were not gimmicks. They were deeply personal bridges to New York鈥檚 diverse communities. His 鈥榩olitics of no translation,鈥� speaking directly to people in their languages, made every voter feel seen and valued.
And then, there were the details. The colour palette of his campaign was not random. That bold yellow came straight from New York鈥檚 iconic yellow taxis. Every design choice, every word, every video served a purpose. It was not just a campaign; it was an experience.
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Rejecting fear-based politics
MAMDANI鈥橲 campaign stood as a rejection of fear-driven narratives 鈥� fear of immigrants, fear of socialism and fear of difference. Instead, he replaced fear with hope, division with unity and apathy with engagement. Quoting labour leader Eugene Debs in his victory speech, he called his win 鈥榓 dawn of possibility.鈥�
His approach was the opposite of poll-driven caution. He did not shape his words around what was safe to say. He shaped them around what was right to say. And it worked. As the Guardian observed, Mamdani鈥檚 win was 鈥榓 rebuke to the failed strategies of the Democratic Party,鈥� proving that sincerity can inspire people more deeply than fear or calculation ever could.
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Lessons for Bangladesh
AS BANGLADESH heads towards another election season, Mamdani鈥檚 campaign offers valuable lessons in political communication and public trust-building. His story reminds us that even in an age of cynicism, authenticity, listening and cultural relevance can still win hearts.
First, politics must return to people. A million conversations mean more than a million people in a rally. Parties here could invest in genuine grass-roots organising, listening to citizens, not lecturing them. Real change begins at the doorstep, not the stage.
Second, clarity matters more than complexity. 鈥楳ake New York affordable鈥� worked because it was specific and relatable. Similarly, Bangladeshi politicians could use simple, emotionally grounded language, focusing on tangible issues like affordable education, safe transport, clean water and fair jobs, instead of abstract promises.
Third, authenticity must replace performance. Speaking directly, even in local dialects, and engaging citizens as equals, not spectators, can rebuild the lost emotional connection between people and politics.
Fourth, every campaign should understand its cultural context. Just as Mamdani went to a Wu-Tang Clan concert instead of a pop event because it represented New York鈥檚 cultural roots, political movements in Bangladesh must know their audience and meet the audience where they already are, both physically and emotionally.
Finally, integrity must be visible. In a political culture where corruption and opportunism have eroded faith, people hunger for honesty. A transparent, people-funded movement, like Mamdani鈥檚 鈥榥ot for sale鈥� campaign, shows that credibility is not built with slogans but with actions.
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From power to purpose
MAMDANI鈥橲 rise reminds us that politics, at its best, is not about power. It is about purpose. His campaign rekindled belief in what democracy can still achieve when driven by courage, compassion, and community.
For Bangladesh, where voters often feel weary from broken promises and polarisation, Mamdani鈥檚 journey offers hope. It proves that even in a noisy, digital, sceptical world, sincerity still resonates. If the next generation of Bangladeshi leaders can listen deeply, speak truthfully and organise authentically, they, too, can turn disappointment into faith and move from the politics of power to the politics of purpose.
And perhaps, like Mamdani, they can remind us that before you become the mayor of a city, you must first become the mayor of people鈥檚 hearts.
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Nafew Sajed Joy ([email protected]) is a researcher, writer and environmentalist.