Zohran Mamdani and Social Media’s Role in Politics

Nora Geoghegan

Staff Writer

With the New York City mayoral race taking place on Nov. 4 it’s important that we discuss social media’s role in politics. Specifically, I want to discuss Zohran Mamdani’s usage of social media to connect with voters during his campaign for the New York City Mayor.

Mamdani has used social media in a clever way to garner support and encourage people to vote. His videos feature Mamdani walking around New York City and interacting with citizens with hypnotic hip-hop instrumentals playing in the background. The transitions between clips are almost as seamless as the subway zooming down the tracks. Mamdani’s videos also feature comedy sketches that poke fun at his opponents in a playful way, as well as putting Mamdani himself into comical situations. He also plays into social media trends quite a bit, which makes his content much more appealing.

He also branched out to other social media accounts, such as “Subway Takes” where he takes a satirical approach to combat his opponents and to create and elaborate on a comprehensive plan for what he will do if he is elected as mayor. As if he couldn’t be more over the top, he even went on stage at both a Lucy Dacus and Pink Panthress concert to connect with voters. Mamdani’s strategic steps have been able to bring him closer to younger voters who may not know how to connect with the voting process or what to look for in a candidate.

Mamdani’s out-of-the-box style of creating campaign ads has allowed him to understand his constituents on a personal level by humanizing himself and getting to know the people of New York directly. This creative approach to campaigning has allowed him to connect with his constituents on a deeper and more personal level. He also provides what many are looking for in a politician as of late: young! With many calling for term limits on members of Congress due to their age, Mamdani’s youth gives people hope that a new generation will step up and provide a new perspective on politics. What makes him even more appealing is that he actually provides transparency and honesty on his records and policies, as opposed to beating around the bush like most politicians.

Mamdani is certainly a politician who understands the power of pop culture in politics!