In just a few months, Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblyman and Democratic Socialist, has gone from a long-shot fringe candidate to a national figure — securing an upset win in the June primary, where voters 18-29 had the highest turnout of any age group.

Now, on the cusp of Election Day — where polls show him the clear frontrunner over his closest rival, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — Mamdani is counting on that youth coalition to show up again. But his pledge to address rising costs appears to be resonating with young people far outside of the five boroughs. It’s a message that many Gen Z and millennials say speaks to their most pressing concerns at a time when many feel hopeless about their leaders and yearn for new voices willing to break with political norms.

“When a candidate is able to speak to the concerns of the populace and validate those concerns … I think that that has a big impact, especially when it comes to young people,” said Ruby Belle Booth, who studies young voters for the nonpartisan research organization CIRCLE.

  • village604@adultswim.fan
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    2 days ago

    She voted wrong on a single bill amendment that wasn’t going to pass regardless of her vote. It’s the stupid purity test bullshit.

    • Koarnine@pawb.social
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      20 hours ago

      So if it wasn’t going to pass regardless of her vote, doesn’t that make it symbolically worse? Her vote had no real effect either way, despite that she chose to give ‘defensive weapons’ to a nation committing genocide.

      Furthermore she barely does or says anything using her incredible momentum, especially since Pelosi gave her the talking to.

      I’m not saying I dislike her, definitely a respectable figure, but don’t pretend it’s all purity test bullshit.

      She folded her ambitions to the Democratic party elite, like most entryist candidates end up doing.

      I don’t blame her, I blame the party elites and donors, but she isn’t immune from criticism… This isn’t a fucking sports team

      • GlitchyDigiBun@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        I think it’s worth propping her up as a leader with an actual constituency beyond the 1%. Bless Bernie for holding true and setting an example. He knows his star is fading but we will remember him.

        • FerretyFever0@fedia.io
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          2 days ago

          He 's been going for such a long time, he honestly deserved to have been nominated over so many different people. Think of how much better the country would’ve been if he was nominated over Obama, Hillary, or Biden. He would’ve done better than any one of them. Our country could’ve existed without the influence of Trump on our everyday lives. We would have a politician that’s willing to improve our country.