6 days ago
Could a Canadian Zohran Mamdani win an election here? Party insiders have hopes — and tips
A former Ontario MPP says the NDP should be looking south to inspire their new federal leader
As the federal New Democratic Party starts its search for a new leader, one former Ontario MPP says the NDP should be looking south for inspiration: Zohran Mamdani. Joel Harden tells Yahoo Canada there is an appetite for policies similar to the New York City mayoral hopeful's here — Canadians just need to see a candidate embrace those ideas.
'Canadians are hungry for these ideas,' Harden said. 'They're hungry for a candidate and a campaign that can lead them to believe that if we vote for this, there's a good likelihood these things will happen.'
Mamdani, 33, beat former New York state governor Andrew Cuomo after polling at just 2 per cent earlier in 2025. Mamdani will now be the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City. The democratic socialist is campaigning on policies like free transit, a $30 minimum wage, increased taxes on the super-rich, rent freezes and government-run grocery stores.
Mamdani's underdog campaign was praised by Toronto Metropolitan University political science professor Bryan Evans, who told Yahoo Canada the reason Mamdani won was his focus on affordability, followed by a direct communication style that used humour effectively to connect with people. A team of about 50,000 volunteers also canvassed for Mamdani across New York. Cuomo was the favourite to win, despite not having a great track record as governor, including accusations of bullying, corruption, and sexual harassment.
'You add all that up… it's quite the remarkable achievement,' Evans said.
Jared Walker: Mamdani ran 'relatable' campaign that resonated amid affordability crisis
Former NDP speech writer and executive director of the non-profit Canadians for Tax Fairness, Jared Walker, told Yahoo Canada that Mamdani had an air of authenticity that other politicians have struggled to achieve.
'He's talking about affordability in a relatable way,' Walker said. '(It is) spoken by a messenger that is believable on the issue.'
Walker said Mamdani's platform could just as easily work in Canada, and that all of his policies have at least been discussed at one point by the NDP.
That makes the main lesson from his success how he communicated those policies and connected with voters, according to Walker. He admitted that the federal NDP could do a better job at those campaign elements, but attributed the party's poor showing in the last election to U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of making Canada the 51st state, which the Liberals were able to capitalize on.
Praise for Mamdani from Ontario NDP leader: 'We're inspired'
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles congratulated Mamdani after his win in a post on X.
'What you've built goes far beyond New York City,' she said. 'You've captured the imagination of progressives everywhere with a blueprint for how we can win: with hope, with values, and with the belief that politics can be a force for good. We're watching — and we're inspired.'
Could a Canadian Mamdani be victorious?
But some political analysts suggested Mamdani was a tough sell as a mainstream politician given his democratic-socialist policies and years-long support for Palestine, often breaking with U.S. Democrats to call for a ceasefire and call out Israel's breaking of international law. Top Democrats still have not endorsed Mamdani.
Former NDP MPP Sarah Jama was expelled from the party's caucus for a statement shortly after Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that was critical of Israel. In January 2025, Jama's application to run again as a member of the NDP was denied by party officials. She ran as an independent and lost. Jama was also censured by Ontario's legislature for wearing a keffiyeh in the hall, which was deemed political apparel and against a dress code.
Harden, who also wore a keffiyeh in parliament and was ejected along with Jama, said it was a very difficult time but figures like Jama still have a future in politics.
He praised how Mamdani has handled the issue, saying that he didn't fall into any political traps but stayed on message and was direct. Mamdani was also endorsed by Brad Lander, who was also running to be the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City. Lander is a progressive Jewish comptroller, and Harden says this helped show Mamdani had no animus toward Jewish New Yorkers.
'I think the world is ready for adult conversations that don't succumb to the gotcha politics and traps that some folks will lay,' Harden said.
'It is really important that everybody anywhere in the world can feel safe being who they are, can advocate for the things they believe without being smeared or mischaracterized.'
Election data from New York City's mayoral Democratic primary showed a surge of young voters. Mamdani was clearly able to mobilize this demographic. New rules for the NDP's search for a new federal leader might have already taken notice.
Signatures gathered by prospective leaders are now required to include at least 10 per cent from NDP members under 25 years of age.
