Zohran Mamdani rallied Gen Z voters. We can't abandon him now.

USA Today

17 hours ago

New York Gen Z voters flexed our muscles to give Mamdani a primary win. Now we have to lock in and do it again in November.
Back in June, New York state legislator Zohran Mamdani shocked the country by defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a crowded field of Democratic candidates in the party's New York City mayoral primary. In the process, he did something that Democrats have repeatedly failed to do: Mobilize Gen Z voters.
News outlet PIX11 reported that according to the New York City Board of Elections, voters ages 25-34 had the largest turnout of any age group in the city, with 40% of early voters being under 40 years old. A quarter of these young voters, who range from young millennials to the oldest members of Generation Z, were first-time primary voters.
Yet instead of studying Mamdani's success, political pundits seem to be blaming members of my generation for voting the way that they did this election. Mark Penn and Andrew Stein wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal calling Gen Z the 'useful idiot generation," saying that we have been 'indoctrinated to blame capitalism.'
'We all know that you can't have just free stuff,' Penn, a former adviser to the Clintons, said in an interview on Fox News. 'That never works; it always deteriorates. But they don't have any history or knowledge.'
This argument is patronizing and willfully ignorant.
We aren't "indoctrinated" by our college education. We are disillusioned by the way society operates and don't believe that corporations will save us. We are unsatisfied with the income inequality that plagues the United States and are stressed about our own finances. We believe that something better is possible. Now, we must plan to show Democrats these facts come November, so that we can show Republicans next.
I'm a Gen Z 'useful idiot' who wants it all to change
I am one of those so-called useful idiots, a twentysomething Gen Z voter who ranked Mamdani first on my ballot back in June. I was torn between him and New York Comptroller Brad Lander up until I was in the voting booth, where I ultimately decided to go with my gut.
I didn't rank Mamdani first because I wanted to fit in, or because of his social media presence. I voted for Mamdani because I believe progressive policies can make New York City a better, more equitable place. I agree with taxing corporations and the wealthiest residents to provide services to the working-class people who keep our city running.
Opinion: Democrats don't need to move to the center. Mamdani proves progressives can win.
I even have some experience with some of his major proposals – not in New York, another blue region of the United States, or a socialist country, but in my home state of North Carolina. I saw the benefits of a fare-free bus system in my college town. I saw that the government can operate a commercial business and still offer a range of products through state-run liquor stores. These things can be done, and they can be done effectively.
I'm also aware of how government functions. I know that Mamdani will have to work with the city, state and federal governments to accomplish all of his goals, which means that many of them will either not come to fruition or be watered down by political compromises. But they'll still be better than much of what Republicans are pushing, and I realize Trump supporters are confused by the idea of a functioning government that has checks and balances.
Now I need Gen Z to show up and vote in November
Although Gen Z had a strong showing in the Democratic primary, we have to stay focused on November if we truly want to see Mamdani elected mayor. Our summer support for Mamdani will be meaningless if he loses in the fall.
The stakes are high for the general election, just like they were in the primary. Cuomo is likely running again as an independent; incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who has been increasingly friendly toward President Donald Trump, will be in the mix as well.
Opinion: Republicans hurt rural Americans with their beautiful bill. Then they clapped.
We want to be taken seriously as a voting bloc, and I believe we can be so long as we turn out to vote once again for Mamdani. This will also prove to Democrats that the party's best option is to move further left, not in a superficial way, like Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, but in policy.
Mamdani still has work to do on behalf of Gen Z
Of course, Mamdani still has work to do among Gen Z New Yorkers. Winning the Democratic primary does not guarantee him Gracie Mansion; he will have to maintain the momentum among the young cohort of voters who selected him.
He can do this by continuing the campaign strategy that won him favor with Gen Z in the first place: by focusing on peer-to-peer interactions both in person and online. He must bring his message to all of New York City's boroughs and cut through the bipartisan attacks against him.
Gen Z voted for Mamdani because we believe in what he has to offer. We don't need to be treated like children for believing that New York City could be a better place for our working-class neighbors.
You may not like Mamdani; you may even believe his views are dangerous. You can't deny, however, that he has managed to accomplish something Democrats failed to do in the last presidential election, and that Gen Z wants to see bolder, progressive ideas from the Democratic Party.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno