**Zohran Mamdani’s Mayoral Campaign: Harnessing Fandom and Digital Savvy for Political Success**
Zohran Mamdani’s recent victory in the New York City mayoral race has been celebrated not just for its decisive margin, but for how his campaign revolutionized digital political communication. Across the political spectrum, commentators have pointed to Mamdani’s innovative online strategy—marked by both digital sophistication and genuine engagement—as a primary factor in his success. From the outset, Mamdani’s team outperformed his rivals in the digital arena, producing polished, compelling videos that rapidly gained traction online. However, the story of Mamdani’s campaign goes beyond the campaign’s own content; it is equally the story of a grassroots fandom that energized his run in ways rarely seen in American politics.
**A New Kind of Political Fandom**
Much of the buzz around Mamdani didn’t originate from official campaign channels or professional political influencers. Instead, it came from a burgeoning community of fans who took it upon themselves to create and share content celebrating Mamdani. Social media platforms were soon flooded with fancams, fan art, and user-generated videos, not just featuring Mamdani, but created for him in the style more commonly associated with pop stars or K-pop idols. For many young voters, who grew up interacting with their favorite celebrities in these ways online, this participatory culture felt natural. In Mamdani, they found a political figure worthy of such devotion, forming an authentic fandom around the 34-year-old mayor-elect.
Ashley Hinck, a digital media professor at Xavier University, notes that these young supporters are “using their experiences from online fandom to do politics.” She argues that the skills honed in online fan communities—creating content, remixing media, and building digital networks—translate seamlessly into political engagement. In short, the same cultural tools used to support musicians and actors are now being used to mobilize for political change.
**Distinctive Digital Strategy**
Mamdani’s campaign distinguished itself by rejecting the trends that have come to dominate political social media. Unlike other politicians who rely on artificial intelligence-generated content or chase viral audio trends in an effort to manufacture authenticity, Mamdani’s social media presence was refreshingly substantive. He communicated directly and seriously about pressing issues like housing and affordability, making his policy positions accessible and engaging for his audience. This approach allowed supporters to connect with his message and share it in their own language, further fueling the community forming around his campaign.
The campaign’s sense of fun and creativity was evident in the way supporters remixed footage of Mamdani. Video clips of him at rallies or speaking with influencers were edited into fast-paced, shareable posts set to popular songs—from Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” to tracks from the musical Hamilton or Charli XCX’s “Brat.” Digital artists shared time-lapse videos of themselves drawing Mamdani, while memorable moments from debates—such as Mamdani