Zohran’s Promise

Abstract: Zohran Mamdani first became visible to me and many others just over a year ago, when he posted a video where he spoke to working-class New Yorkers in the Bronx and Queens about why some of them voted for Donald Trump. In that video, which subsequently went viral, Mamdani swept aside the superficial argument about whether support for Trump was motivated by racial and xenophobic animus or economic anxiety. He simply asked people and listened to what they said. Mamdani advanced his mayoral candidacy on a few clear propositions demonstrated that day. Ordinary people are worried about their material and social standing as they try to build their lives in one of the most unequal and expensive cities in the world. “Affordability” has been Mamdani’s watchword ever since; he used it to ground a winning campaign. The essence of that campaign, however, grew from a more fundamental democratic insight: that politics begins by meeting people where they are, convincing them that you will listen to them, and building trust that you will stand for them and lead them to a better future.