Sometimes politics feels like it’s happening in a world totally separate from ours—where the same people keep recycling the same ideas, while the rest of us are just trying to survive rent, climate anxiety, and endless “unprecedented times.” But then something shifts. Zohran Mamdani winning in New York City? That felt like one of those moments.
For the first time in a long time, a political win actually felt fresh. Mamdani isn’t your typical politician—he’s young, outspoken, and not afraid to call out older, out-of-touch figures who’ve been running the show for too long. He’s real in a way that cuts through the noise. He talks with people, not at them. He listens, learns, and adapts—exactly what leadership should look like in 2025.
And let’s be honest: Gen Z had everything to do with this. His campaign blew up online because people our age made it happen. Through TikToks, memes, clips, and community threads, we pushed his message further than any traditional ad could. We made politics relatable again. It wasn’t about perfect branding—it was about energy, authenticity, and a shared belief that change is actually possible if we show up.
What really stands out about Mamdani is his openness. He doesn’t treat the city’s mix of languages and cultures like a challenge—he embraces it. He’s willing to learn, to immerse himself, to represent the people as they are, not as some idealized version. That’s rare. And it’s the kind of leadership that feels built for the world we’re inheriting.
From here in Los Angeles, watching this all unfold gives me hope. Hope that this isn’t just a one-off story out of New York, but the start of something bigger. That the rest of the country might finally catch on—that young, connected, culturally aware leaders can win, and that Gen Z isn’t just the future anymore. We’re the present.
So yeah—Mamdani’s win means a lot. It’s proof that social media isn’t just noise; it’s a tool for real impact. It’s proof that being young isn’t a weakness—it’s an asset. And most importantly, it’s proof that when we come together around ideas that matter, we can shift what politics looks like completely. If Gen Z can help make this happen in New York, who’s to say we can’t do the same everywhere else?
