Gen Z Shaping the Future: Mamdani’s New York City Mayoral Race
A mere mention of ‘Morris Katz’ often conjures the impression of a 75-year-old accountant with a shiny pate. However, in reality, Katz is a vibrant 28-year-old with a head of curly hair, who boasts the title of a political tactician. He was instrumental in the surprising triumph of Zohran Mamdani during the June primary elections for the Democratic nominee in the New York City mayoral race.
Pending his victory in the November general elections, Mamdani, aged 33, stands a chance to become the youngest ever mayor since 1889 in the city’s history. Understandably, the path ahead is not without challenges, as Mamdani not only faces three anticipated rivals but also a barrage of billionaire-backed attacks. Although Mamdani is a frontrunner, the forthcoming predicaments cannot be ignored.
The present year is anticipated to hold a special place in the realm of New York politics. It is arguably being hailed as the ‘Gen Z Election’ moment, primarily for two reasons, firstly it being the year of Z for Zohran, and secondly due to the predominant influence of younger activists and electorates in shaping the race.
Curtis Sliwa, the candidate representing the Republican front, has trusted his campaign endeavours to campaign director Rusat Ramgopal. Among Sliwa’s team, a notable figure is Ashwin Prabaharan, undertaking dual roles as the director of youth engagement and volunteer coordinator.
Prabaharan mentions, ‘In a standard political race, a candidate of Curtis’s age striving to resonate with a younger audience might have ended up being pushed to the sidelines. Instead, Curtis has consistently prioritized the youth since his initial stages with the Guardian Angels. He comprehends what affordability and public safety imply for today’s younger generation’
The primary elections drew attention due to the stark contrast exhibited between Mamdani and the previous governor, Cuomo. Their campaigns were equally remarkable with millennials holding prominent advisory positions—Melissa DeRosa on Cuomo’s team and Eugene Noh as Adam’s campaign manager.
The notable aspect of these millennials isn’t their age, but the majority’s experience in conventional, establishment New York politics. Contrarily, Mamdani’s campaign management not purely made up of political novices, is deeply rooted and influenced by internet culture and populist politics that have been prevalent over the last 20 years.
A critical contributor to Mamdani’s campaign, Zara Rahim, underscored the importance of connectng with Muslim and South Asian constituents. Moreover, the team’s innovative approach played a crucial role in shaping Mamdani’s response to a tragedy involving the loss of four lives in an office building in midtown Manhattan.
Addressing his position on law enforcement, Mamdani clarified ‘I am not advocating to defund the police. My candidature does not support the idea of defunding the police.’ He described himself as a ‘dynamic candidate who learns and leads.’ He effectively turned the criticism around within the broader perspective of his campaign, claiming these attacks as reflections of ‘outdated politics that New Yorkers yearn to outgrow.’
Political engagement for several central members of Mamdani’s team has been greatly influenced by the backlash against the Trump administration. A perceived sense of instability and uncertainty further fueled their participation, arising from lived experiences through the 2008 recession or the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Morris Katz, a native of Manhattan, initially aspired to follow his father’s footsteps into screenwriting. It wasn’t until the consequential victory of Trump in 2016 that Katz redirected his professional aspirations towards political activism.
Katz and his team at Mamdani’s campaign held an intrinsic faith in the youth vote as their potential voter base. However, they were taken aback at the level of engagement and enthusiasm shown by this demographic during their campaign and its unexpected success.
Interestingly, the winning strategy for Mamdani majorly capitalised on what was perceived as his biggest weakness – his lack of prior government experience. In fact, Mamdani and his team turned this into an advantage, demonstrating that the youth, despite its potential inexperience, can deliver effective results.
Adams and Cuomo, armed with political wisdom, seem keen on repeatedly highlighting the inexperience and concomitant risks of the younger generation until the general elections. However, as Katz asserts, ‘We always believed that the fact that something hasn’t been done before doesn’t headline it as a poor choice.’