It is this digital proficiency and authentic engagement with social media platforms to which experts from across the political spectrum have attributed Mamdani’s triumphant and decisive victory on Tuesday evening. From the start, his team outpaced its opponents online, publishing highly produced videos that reached large audiences.
But that’s only half the story. Much of the content about Mamdani online doesn’t just come from his campaign or the dozens of political influencers invited to cover it. It comes from his fans.
Over the past few months, feeds have been filled with fancamsfan art and videos not created alone of Mom for it. This form of participatory online fandom has traditionally been reserved for celebrities and musicians like Taylor Swift or K-pop idols. The young voters who flocked to Mamdani this week grew up with their favorites online in this way, creating something incredibly rare for the 34-year-old mayor-elect: a fandom.
“They use their experiences from online fandom to do politics,” said Ashley Hinck, an associate professor at Xavier University and a lecturer in digital media and online communications. “Those are the skills to deal with culture and that means these are the skills we use to deal with politics.”
The Mamdani campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This fandom is nothing like your average political organization. Online, clips of Mamdani speaking at rallies and with influencers are being remixed into sleek video posts featuring Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” songs from the Broadway musical Hamilton”Or Charli’s xcx Brat. Digital artists have done that posted videos of them drawing Mamdani in their own styles. Mamdani’s own campaign jokes, such as when he instructed opponent Andrew Cuomo how to pronounce his last name, are adapted into campaign songs.
Unlike many politicians online lately, the Mamdani campaign’s official social media presence avoided AI-generated content and a focus on popular audio trends, making it a rare source of content in slop-filled feeds. While other Democratic officials post online to emphasize the voters’ authenticity, Mamdani says voters sayjust appears. He uses social media with the same seriousness when tackling issues of housing and affordability. This approach gives its audience something tangible to engage with online in their own language, creating a community around Mamdani that exists both online and in real life.
“He has shown the utmost professionalism throughout the campaign, but he lets the fun swirl around him,” said Ravi Mangla, national press secretary of the progressive Working Families Party. who essentially endorsed Mamdani. “He encourages the culture around him, while staying somewhat focused on politics, on this campaign and on the real issues that people are facing.”
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