After New York Metropolis selected Zohran Mamdani to grow to be town’s 111th mayor, exit polls revealed that the mayor-elect captured nearly all of votes from each the youthful inhabitants and newcomers to town.
Some consultants mentioned Mamdani’s success with these voters resulted from his marketing campaign’s messaging about difficult the established order.
“He woke up one thing in them. That goes for the brand new voters and younger voters, the place they thought that they needed to settle for the established order of politics as normal and issues which can be popping out of Washington, D.C., and the corruption that we have had, and so they notice that they really do not need to look that manner,” Christina Greer, an affiliate political science professor at Fordham College, advised ABC Information.
New York Metropolis Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates throughout an election night time occasion in Brooklyn, New York Metropolis, November 4, 2025.
Angela Weiss/AFP through Getty Photos
Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist, captured 78% of voters beneath 30 and 66% of these voters 30 to 44 in Tuesday’s election, in keeping with ABC News exit polls, carried out by SSRS. Amongst voters 45 to 64, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo edged out Mamdani, 53% to 47%. A majority of voters 65 and older (55%) voted for Cuomo whereas 36% voted for Mamdani. Moreover, newcomers to town had been a few of the almost definitely voters within the state to vote for Mamdani, with 81% of those that have lived in New York Metropolis lower than 10 years supporting him, the exit polls discovered.
Alongside together with his electoral success amongst youthful and newer New Yorkers, Mamdani additionally earned help from 55% of voters who lived within the metropolis for over 10 years, however weren’t born within the metropolis. Extra of those that had been born in New York Metropolis voted for Cuomo (49%) than Mamdani (38%), in keeping with the exit polls.
Extra first-time New York Metropolis mayoral voters additionally voted for Mamdani than those that have beforehand voted for mayor within the metropolis, 66% versus 47%, the exit polls discovered.
Greer mentioned this accomplishment in gathering nearly all of the youth’s vote was by means of Mamdani’s engagement in social media, together with the marketing campaign’s clear message about working as a group.
“This marketing campaign, which was extremely run, was clear and constant that it is not nearly beating another person — which means the Republican Get together or Donald Trump or Andrew Cuomo — it was about an additive sort of politics, the place if we work collectively, we will collectively get extra. I believe that message resonated with lots of people,” Greer mentioned.
Moreover, Mamdani’s deal with the affordability of New Yorkers — particularly his plans to freeze hire for rent-stabilized residences and supply common baby care and free buses — “resonated” with youthful generations, in keeping with Jessica Siles, the senior director of communications for advocacy group Voters of Tomorrow.
“I believe New York has some particular affordability points that possibly aren’t all over the place within the nation. If you end up shifting to New York, there are particular monetary hurdles in some ways in which make issues tough. So contemporary faces completely are on the lookout for some aid and management that is ready to no less than have them really feel like they’re higher outfitted to navigate them,” Siles advised ABC Information.
Supporters attend the election watch social gathering for New York Metropolis Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, November 4, 2025 within the Brooklyn borough of New York Metropolis.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Photos
Requested to touch upon Mamdani securing the votes of youthful individuals and newcomers to town, a spokesperson for Cuomo’s marketing campaign mentioned, “it is greater than that.”
“This must be a metropolis for everybody and the truth that practically half of New Yorkers from throughout the spectrum united towards what the democratic nominee in an overwhelmingly democratic metropolis campaigned on should not be ignored,” Wealthy Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, mentioned in an announcement to ABC Information. “We’re pleased with the marketing campaign Andrew Cuomo ran within the common, a report 42% on an impartial poll line buried on the poll.”
Cuomo, 67, who had tried a political comeback after resigning as governor in 2021 amid sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct allegations, which he denied, was capable of body himself as a average who might faucet into his earlier expertise in politics.
Greer mentioned Cuomo’s identify recognition resonated with native New Yorkers and longtime residents, which is why they might vote for him regardless of his “foibles and woes.”
“He’s a trusted politician in some methods as a result of he had a 40-year head begin over Mamdani. His father was a governor within the 90s. Older New Yorkers and New Yorkers who’ve been within the metropolis for a number of many years or generations know that Cuomo is a identified Democratic amount,” Greer mentioned.
Regardless of Cuomo’s favorability with native New Yorkers, Mamdani’s means to fulfill with voters throughout town — whether or not they’re ready in a taxi cab line or on the subway — allowed for everybody within the metropolis, together with those that are new to the realm, to rapidly grow to be aware of his imaginative and prescient, Greer mentioned.
“Whether or not it is a church or a membership, he was there. He is on the subway. If you happen to say you wish to be mayor of New York, he is really in a number of completely different locations the place persons are,” Greer mentioned. “It is paying homage to Obama days — at a sure time limit, it is not in regards to the candidate, it is in regards to the motion.”
No matter the place Mamdani was partaking with New Yorkers, Siles mentioned he was higher capable of construct a group and “coalition of help of all ages,” creating avenues for individuals — together with contemporary faces within the metropolis — to attach.
“I believe that a whole lot of younger individuals who maybe have moved right here pretty not too long ago had been capable of actually meaningfully join with their neighbors and their friends and their group in a manner that possibly hasn’t been supplied to them earlier than, in a very significant manner that’s striving to enhance town,” Siles added.
Whereas Greer mentioned Mamdani should observe by means of on the guarantees he has made throughout his marketing campaign to take care of the help of all demographics, his voters would possibly give him grace as a result of his ambition as a frontrunner.
“If New Yorkers see that he’s working for them, they’re extra doubtless to provide him some type of grace as he tries to ship on behalf of the individuals. They wish to see individuals combating for them. A few of that can be simply the sheer ambition of not simply the agenda, however the aggression of the brand new mayor in making an attempt to ship on behalf of tens of millions of New Yorkers,” Greer advised ABC Information.
Mamdani’s marketing campaign didn’t instantly reply to ABC Information’ request for remark.
ABC Information’ Emily Guskin, Brittany Shepherd and Oren Oppenheim contributed to this report.
