After New York Metropolis selected Zohran Mamdani to change into the town’s 111th mayor, exit polls revealed that the mayor-elect captured the vast majority of votes from each the youthful inhabitants and newcomers to the town.
Some consultants stated 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 typical and issues which are popping out of Washington, D.C., and the corruption that we have had, they usually understand that they really do not should look that means,” Christina Greer, an affiliate political science professor at Fordham College, instructed ABC Information.
New York Metropolis Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates throughout an election evening occasion in Brooklyn, New York Metropolis, November 4, 2025.
Angela Weiss/AFP through Getty Photographs
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 line with ABC News exit polls, performed 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 the town have been a number of the most certainly 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 along with his electoral success amongst youthful and newer New Yorkers, Mamdani additionally earned assist from 55% of voters who lived within the metropolis for over 10 years, however weren’t born within the metropolis. Extra of those that have been born in New York Metropolis voted for Cuomo (49%) than Mamdani (38%), in line 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 stated this accomplishment in gathering the vast majority 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 — that means the Republican Get together or Donald Trump or Andrew Cuomo — it was about an additive kind of politics, the place if we work collectively, we are able to collectively get extra. I believe that message resonated with lots of people,” Greer stated.
Moreover, Mamdani’s give attention to the affordability of New Yorkers — particularly his plans to freeze lease for rent-stabilized flats and supply common youngster care and free buses — “resonated” with youthful generations, in line 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 in all places within the nation. When you find yourself transferring to New York, there are particular monetary hurdles in some ways in which make issues tough. So recent faces completely are on the lookout for some reduction and management that is ready to not less than have them really feel like they’re higher outfitted to navigate them,” Siles instructed ABC Information.
Supporters attend the election watch occasion for New York Metropolis Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, November 4, 2025 within the Brooklyn borough of New York Metropolis.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Photographs
Requested to touch upon Mamdani securing the votes of youthful folks and newcomers to the town, a spokesperson for Cuomo’s marketing campaign stated, “it is greater than that.”
“This must be a metropolis for everybody and the truth that almost half of New Yorkers from throughout the spectrum united in opposition to what the democratic nominee in an overwhelmingly democratic metropolis campaigned on should not be neglected,” Wealthy Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, stated in an announcement to ABC Information. “We’re pleased with the marketing campaign Andrew Cuomo ran within the basic, a file 42% on an unbiased 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 reasonable who might faucet into his earlier expertise in politics.
Greer stated Cuomo’s title recognition resonated with native New Yorkers and longtime residents, which is why they’d 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 stated.
Regardless of Cuomo’s favorability with native New Yorkers, Mamdani’s capacity to satisfy with voters throughout the 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 change into accustomed to his imaginative and prescient, Greer stated.
“Whether or not it is a church or a membership, he was there. He is on the subway. If you happen to say you need to be mayor of New York, he is really in a number of totally different locations the place individuals are,” Greer stated. “It is harking back 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 participating with New Yorkers, Siles stated he was higher capable of construct a group and “coalition of assist of all ages,” creating avenues for folks — together with recent faces within the metropolis — to attach.
“I believe that a number of younger individuals who maybe have moved right here pretty lately have been capable of actually meaningfully join with their neighbors and their friends and their group in a means that possibly hasn’t been supplied to them earlier than, in a extremely significant means that’s striving to enhance the town,” Siles added.
Whereas Greer stated Mamdani should observe by means of on the guarantees he has made throughout his marketing campaign to take care of the assist of all demographics, his voters would possibly give him grace as a consequence of his ambition as a pacesetter.
“If New Yorkers see that he’s working for them, they’re extra possible to offer him some form of grace as he tries to ship on behalf of the folks. They need to see folks 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 instructed 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.
