Zohran Mamdani didn’t just win New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. He built a campaign around memes, virality, and grassroots hustle that made legacy tactics look ancient.
If you were online in 2024, you probably saw him long before you knew he was running. And that was exactly the point.
As The Nation reported, Mamdani’s campaign started before he officially entered the race. He used @SubwayTakes, a wildly viral Instagram account, to slam Mayor Eric Adams. Followers immediately commented, “Zohran for mayor!”—and they meant it. By the time he announced in October, he’d already seeded the narrative.
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Zohran understands that you can beat big money through a progressive agenda that speaks to the needs of working families and that motivates people to get involved at the grassroots level.
He won because thousands of people knocked on doors. That’s how you win elections. pic.twitter.com/JCWEk9A0F3
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 26, 2025
His digital-first approach had a major payoff. The New York Times dubbed him a “TikTok savant” for his quick, charming, and progressive clips that mocked political conventions while showcasing his personality. According to New York Magazine, his team translated 46,000 online signups into over a million doors knocked. Resulting in a landslide victory over scandal-plagued Andrew Cuomo.
@abcnews Zohran Mamdani tells @abcnews’ @itsrachelscott that if elected mayor of New York City, he would work with the Trump administration “when it is to the benefit of New Yorkers,” but not “if it comes at the expense of the New Yorkers that I’m running to serve.” #news #newyorkcity #abcnews #politics #zohranmamdani ♬ original sound – ABC News
Mamdani’s feed wasn’t just politics. It was performance art. At the Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge, he shouted, “I’m freezing… your rent as the next mayor of New York City,” a line that now has over 2 million views. Celebrity allies helped. Emily Ratajkowski donned a “Hot Girls for Zohran” shirt. Bernie Sanders sent a final-day video urging people to vote. Cynthia Nixon returned to back him again publicly.
According to Teen Vogue, youth organizers were the backbone of Mamdani’s movement, mobilizing their communities online and IRL. The campaign didn’t rely on billionaire donors; in fact, he capped fundraising once he maxed out New York’s public matching funds. Instead, he made a viral Instagram video telling fans to “stop donating money” and donate time. It worked.
His coalition blended college-educated progressives, first-gen immigrant communities, and politically woke Gen Z. As Columbia political strategist Lincoln Mitchell told The Conversation, Mamdani “created what a 2025 progressive coalition looks like,” one that merges style with substance.
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TikTok didn’t win Mamdani the race on its own. But it transformed awareness into action. His campaign shows the power behind a social media strategy and winning over the internet. The future of campaigning just went vertical, swipeable, and viral. And Zohran Mamdani may have just written the blueprint.
