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"Our Time Is Now": Zohran Mamdani's Mayoral Campaign Inspires NYC's Working-Class South Asians

2025-11-03 News & Politics
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Democracy Now!
Democracy Now!
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South Asian Mobilization Drives NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s Primary Success

Discover how working-class South Asian communities, mobilized by DRUM Beats, achieved historic turnout, signaling a significant shift in New York City political power dynamics.

Short Summary

  • South Asian voter turnout increased by 40% during the Democratic primary, contributing significantly to Zohran Mamdani’s success.
  • The campaign’s focus on material, working-class issues, rather than just identity, generated unprecedented grassroots energy.
  • Activists are preparing for a new role, ready to collaborate with a potential administration or hold it accountable post-election. This report details the ground game orchestrated by groups like DRUM Beats and analyzes the political implications of this mobilization for marginalized ethnic communities.

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Description

Support our work: https://democracynow.org/donate/sm-desc-yt Democracy Now!'s Anjali Kamat reports on working-class South Asian support for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. South Asian voter turnout increased by 40% during the Democratic primary, contributing to Mamdani's upset victory against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is now running as an independent candidate. "We've had several South Asian or Indo-Caribbean candidates, and none of them elicit this response. And I think the fact that the campaign spoke to the very material issues of working-class people has, first and foremost, has really made a very significant difference," says Fahd Ahmed, director of the South Asian community organization DRUM Beats, whose members have been canvassing for Mamdani's campaign. Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET. Subscribe to our Daily Email Digest: https://democracynow.org/subscribe

Top Comments (10)

@Nikzcyn 2025-11-03

Ah Bangladeshi/Bengali aunties..this made me emotional! Amazing work! Let’s win this thing! ❤️💚💙🧡

259 12 replies
@sabinecarnera6877 2025-11-03

Great news New York!! In Montreal, Canada 🇨🇦 a lady refugee exiled from Chile 🇨🇱 during Pinochet’s dictatorship, won the mayoral race!!

196 8 replies
@lelahferguson9221 2025-11-03

THANK YOU MAMDANI and Democracy Now !

176 8 replies
@youallhavezoidberg 2025-11-03

The thing tha that really impressed me about Mamdani is his refusal to denigrate people experiencing homelessness. He consistently refers to unhoused people as New Yorkers, because they are.

151 1 replies
@ssbein 2025-11-03

You guys, no one's talking about zohran energizing canadians ... And the whole world!

114 5 replies
@namakudamono 2025-11-04

Videos like this are why Democracy Now is the best independent news outlet in the world.

105 4 replies
@Highbrookgardens 2025-11-03

Omg he has the aunties canvassing. He’s definitely winning and nyc will win because he will need to prove he deserved the support. 😊

56
@Frank-Talk 2025-11-04

Time for these Oligarchs to be held accountable! Viva Mamdani!

54 1 replies
@cristinskadell338 2025-11-03

it is energizing - marginalized people uniting , finding their voice. so positive. ❤❤❤

37 3 replies
@willowtdog6449 2025-11-04

These volunteers are so sweet and enthusiastic! I love seeing it. 😊

17

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