The NYC mayoral candidates
JTA
The NYC Mayoral Election
NOVEMBER 26, 2025
On November 4th, New York City, an ever-changing hub of economics, politics, and culture, wrapped up its mayoral election—and to both the disappointment and excitement of New Yorkers, Zohran Mamdani won.
This election was like no other; not only were NYC residents interested, but the whole world was tuned in for this simple city election. The question, however, is why?
Running as a Democratic Socialist made Mamdani an outlier in a strict two-party system, and many believe it was his Socialist message that allowed him to secure the win.
“Mamdani blew up because an actual socialist was recognised for the first time in American politics. The people were excited to see something new,” said Junior Sahana Ramkumar.
However, some credit goes to his use of social media. Mamdani's social media presence sparked interest amongst individuals around the globe. He monopolised the latest trends on TikTok and Instagram, and his campaign videos quickly gained public attention as he brought a Gen-Z outlook to campaigning. He appeared on TikTok Channels like Shop Cats and Judgey Series, but also made his own videos speaking languages such as Urdu, Arabic, and Spanish, to reach the immigrant communities of the city.
EBHS Alumni Layla Sheikh said, “Mamdani’s message spread larger than just the New York audience and made people of color feel seen after years of their work being hidden in the city.”
Mamdani has yet to take office as mayor of NYC, but it is safe to see that the city, country, and the whole world are ready to see the changes he will bring.
