Profile Relatable campaigner built diverse support

A year ago, Zohran Mamdani was a political unknown.

- Lucy Campbell

Now, the 34-year-old democratic socialist will be New York’s first Muslim mayor, with a profile that stretches far beyond the city.

The onetime underdog turned main character has had a meteoric rise. With a savvy social media presence and grassroots campaign that garnered international attention and galvanised thousands of first-time voters - many of whom are young or people of colour, or both - Mamdani has provided a blueprint for canvassing to progressives online.

His relatable videos have also offered a hopeful and affectionate vision of New York, built on the premise that life doesn't have to be as hard as it has become. Mamdani's many social media hits included his coining of "halalflation" and pledging to freeze rent before jumping into the frigid waves at Coney Island. There have been viral subway elopement photos and a breathless Mamdani waxing poetic about rent prices while running the New York City marathon. His viral video in which he interviewed working-class New Yorkers of colour about why they voted for Donald Trump struck a chord with many.