We’re days out from the New York City mayoral election that has grabbed the country’s attention, in part, thanks to energy from gen z voters looking to elect Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old Democratic nominee who’s been dubbed controversial by some and lauded as the next generation of Democratic politics by others.
Gen Z is not a monolith, and even within New York City, I’ve heard a range of young voters’ perspectives on this race. Many are supporting Mamdani but there are also those backing Andrew Cuomo (some as a reaction to Mamdani’s stance and past rhetoric on Israel) and the small but mighty bunch in favor of Curtis Sliwa.
But there are core reasons why Mamdani is resonating most with this voting bloc that cannot and should not be ignored.
I held a listening session with a small group of gen z voters on Tuesday, and they all expressed some level of support for Mamdani and his vision. Here’s what they like about him:
He focuses on affordability
He’s relatable (i.e. he takes the subway and comes across as an every day New Yorker)
He’s offering tangible and ostensibly simple solutions for problems, even if they’re lofty
While Mamdani’s social virality helps (he has millions of followers across TikTok and Instagram, has showed up on high profile social-first shows, and held a press briefing solely for creators and new media), the young voters I spoke to are mostly attracted to his policies.
Where I’m seeing a generational divide: I asked these voters if they’re worried he won’t be able to get his pie-in-the-sky policies passed, but they aren’t phased. They said they appreciate his “humility” and believe that if his ideas don’t work in practice, he’ll try something else.
TLDR: This bloc wants to hear solutions and is sick of being gaslit by candidates who talk about a problem without sharing a plan for how they’ll be different. Politicians must address today’s problems with a bold vision for a path forward. Democrats in particular can learn a lot here. Gen Z wants to know what you are for, not just what you are against.
One key quote: “Zohran in many ways is symbolic of the generational change that Gen Z wants to see, and Cuomo represents the status quo,” a 20-year-old New Yorker told me. “Zohran rides the train. He’s an everyday public servant who genuinely cares about the electorate, and that’s clear from what he does, but I think Andrew Cuomo, part of the reason why he doesn’t resonate with Gen Z is simply because Gen Z wants change, and he represents the polar opposite of change.”
Zooming out, this election has generated new forms of political engagement. One of those is political betting markets. We’re coming up on a fever pitch moment in the role of betting markets in elections, a tool that has very much rewritten how a swath of young people are getting involved in the election.
To learn more, I spoke with Jaron Zhou, who’s head of politics at Kalshi, a prediction market that previously faced legal trouble but has become a top betting market in this election. The company is responsible for a billboard campaign across the city and an influencer push on social media that’s generated attention. I asked about how the prediction market is changing political engagement, the risks associated with that, and their plans for future elections.
Paying subscribers can read our full conversation and get more insights from Tuesday’s listening session below.
🔑 What You’ll Unlock: Highlights from this edition
Q&A with Jaron Zhou, the former TikTok and Bain employee now leading politics for Kalshi (he’s 25)
Full insights from this week’s listening session with gen z New Yorkers
My analysis on why Mamdani is an answer to what young voters are craving