Mamdani mania

So, Zohran Mamdani is the mayor-elect of New York. 

What is essentially a local government election in a country that appears to be imploding has grabbed the attention and ignited the passion of millions around the globe.

The reasons are fairly simple. Everything is awful and maybe, just maybe, Mamdani isn’t. Also, he turns up to nightclubs on campaign swings, is great on social media, and had a cool wedding. 

The typical line is that Mamdani’s real test begins now, that attempting to make some very famous campaign pledges reality will now define him. Which is true, if obvious. If free childcare, fast buses and a rent freeze all remain out of reach, judgement will be harsh.

But there is arguably a much greater challenge for Mamdani’s energised supporters, in New York, across the US, and around the world. 

Can they hold their nerve and accept the inevitability of delay, compromise, and imperfection, while maintaining their engagement and belief in the man and the mission? Can they swallow impurity in exchange for improvement? Or will they quickly shift to posting something else on Instagram stories and quietly grumbling about broken promises?

You campaign in poetry and govern in prose said Mario Cuomo, the former Governor of New York and father of Andrew, the man who lost to Mamdani. But it’s hard to squeeze prose into a TikTok. Subway Takes cannot 100% agree or disagree if the explanation of how free childcare is funded takes 8 minutes and a rudimentary understanding of state vs city taxation. 

Mamdani’s challenge is to deliver, and to communicate that delivery (or lack thereof) with the same authenticity and virality he has campaigned with. That’s tough, but it’s nothing on his supporters' challenge to hold the line and keep the faith. The test for both starts now.