Zohran Mamdani Is Winning Hearts in NYC by Speaking to Voters in Their Own Language—and It’s Giving Real Hope

Zohran Mamdani holds a commanding ten-point lead in polling for the New York mayoral general election. Second place is with former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who left office surrounded by scandals, including sexual harassment. The 33-year-old politician ran on a progressive platform in the Democratic primary for mayor.

Mamdani’s primary win was decisive, with New Yorkers rebuking a comeback from the former governor. Mamdani has run an inclusive campaign, and his ability to reach American voters in their language is admirable. His Spanish-language outtakes show that he is not afraid to go outside of his comfort zone.

Zohran Mamdani’s Spanish-language outtakes shows an inclusive politician

New York is a very diverse city and boasts a large Latine community. According to the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the Latine population of New York is 2,490,350. That comes out to 28.3 percent of New York’s total population. So, it does make sense that someone running to represent the city would work to reach out to all potential voters in their language. The campaign shows a politician actively working to make sure that all New Yorkers feel represented in their local government.

There were claims that Mamdani used AI to make his Spanish-language ad. The claims were unfounded, but, being the digital native that all Millennials are, Mamdani used the moment to show off his skills. In a video posted to his social media channels, the Democratic mayoral candidate showed the behind-the-scenes moments of him working on the ad. What we see is someone who is not a native speaker working to get the words right.

Social media users appreciate Mamdani’s willingness to try

It is a sense of pride and respect when people attempt to reach people in their native language. Imagine a world where your abuelo or abuela is not an afterthought. A world where speaking to Spanish-speaking Latine people isn’t performative but a sincere attempt to connect on a human level. As Mamdani writes in his social media caption, it is his attempt to connect with all New Yorkers.

The whole behind-the-scene video endeared Mamdani to them as he ran in the Democratic primary. But it was more than his personality that helped him win the primary. Mamdani ran on a progressive platform aimed at lowering costs and bettering the lives of all New Yorkers. In an op-ed in the Times of Israel, a group of rabbis shared why they emphatically endorsed Mamdani and helped him get elected. For the authors, supporting Mamdani is intimately tied to their Jewish faith and identity. They see Mamdani’s campaign and his potential election as Mayor of New York as aligning with the Jewish calls for justice. Additionally, they believe that he is a better qualified person than Cuomo and former Mayor Eric Adams, who they paint as corrupt officials who should not hold public office.

Other things that Mamdani centered in his campaign are freezing rent for rent-stabilized properties, opening city-run grocery stores, pushing for affordable housing, and free, fast buses for the city. The safety of all New Yorkers is an important part of his platform as well.