In a stunning upset that has already begun reshaping the landscape of American municipal politics, Zohran Mamdani has emerged as the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City. While the general election is still months away, his primary victory is already being hailed as a generational moment – one that fuses digital-first campaigning, multicultural authenticity, and deep grassroots organizing.
For political observers north of the border, Zohran Mamdani’s win is more than an American story. It is a wake-up call. With Alberta heading into its municipal elections later this year and Ontario’s municipal hopefuls going to the polls in 2026, there are lessons Canadian campaigns – regardless of political leaning – cannot afford to ignore.
How Zohran Mamdani Used Multilingual and Multicultural Social Media to Win
In Canadian politics, ethnic outreach is often reduced to translated flyers, ethnic media interviews, or robocalls in Punjabi, Cantonese, or Arabic. Mamdani turned that playbook on its head. Zohran Mamdani’s campaign featured original videos in Urdu/Hindi, Bengali, and Spanish, not just translated, but delivered with cultural fluency and community engagement.
One of Zohran Mamdani’s most talked-about videos recreated a famous scene from the 1975 Bollywood classic Deewar, where Amitabh Bachchan’s character lists his wealth: “Aaj mere paas buildingein hai, property hai, bangla hai, bank balance hai, gaadi hai. Tumhare paas kya hai?” (Today I have buildings, property, a bungalow, a bank balance, and a car. What do you have?). Mamdani, striking Shah Rukh Khan’s signature pose, replied with a simple yet powerful line: “Aap” (I have you).
Billionaires ke paas already sab kuchh hai. Ab, aapka time aageya.
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) June 4, 2025
Billionaires already have everything. Now, your time has come. pic.twitter.com/bJcgxzt37S
The video also cleverly reimagined a lyric from the 1980 film Karz: “Kya tumne kabhi kisi ko pyaar kiya? Kisiko dil diya?” (Have you ever loved someone? Given someone your heart?), twisting it into, “Have you ever voted for anyone? Have you ever ranked anyone?” — a creative nod to educating immigrant voters about ranked-choice voting.
Another Bengali-language video explained ranked ballots using a reference to a popular sweet dish, showing how the campaign localized civic education in ways that were both fun and familiar. Mamdani’s broader campaign platform promised roti, kapda aur makaan (food, clothing, and shelter), and included policies like rent freezes, free buses, universal childcare, and cheaper groceries — all framed in ways that connected with working-class immigrant families.
For ethnic candidates in Canada, there’s an added opportunity — and sometimes pressure — to decide how much of their cultural background they bring into the public eye. Mamdani’s campaign shows that leaning into your heritage can be a political strength, especially when done authentically. Candidates who reflect the lived experiences of immigrant families and diaspora youth often resonate more deeply with voters who feel overlooked by traditional campaigns.
🇨🇦 Canadian Lesson: In diverse urban centers like Toronto, Brampton, Calgary, and Surrey, the multicultural electorate is young, digital, and culturally fluent. Ethnic outreach can no longer be relegated to the margins of a campaign plan. To reach these voters, campaigns must go in-culture, not just in-language.
The Meme-first Social Media Strategy Behind Mamdani’s Viral Momentum
This election is in your hands. But only if you’re registered to vote in New York City.
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) June 10, 2025
The deadline is Saturday. pic.twitter.com/PlcV30pezy
One of the defining features of Zohran Mamdani’s digital-first campaign was its meme-forward strategy. His team didn’t just tolerate memes – they embraced and generated them. TikToks and Instagram Reels playfully engaged with pop culture, local issues, and campaign moments in formats that felt authentic to younger audiences.
@subwaytakes Episode 407: I should be the mayor!! Feat @Zohran Mamdani #podcast #subway #hottakes #subwaytakes #interview #nyc ♬ original sound - SubwayTakes
His “Subway Takes” TikTok, featuring Mamdani on the train using a MetroCard as a microphone, reached over 3 million views. It blended humour with political messaging and reinforced his accessibility. He made policy explainer videos that were as likely to get shared on meme pages as they were to be quoted in political coverage.
Unlike other viral campaigns that relied heavily on aesthetics or influencer fluff, Zohran Mamdani’s social media content always circled back to his policy platform – rent freezes, free buses, and universal childcare. Videos covered ranked-choice voting, tax policy, and tenant rights in ways that were digestible and entertaining, but still substantive.
Mamdani also posted a video urging supporters to stop donating after his campaign hit the $8M cap – and to volunteer instead. This moment showcased his authenticity and rejection of performative politics. Behind the scenes, he helped ideate content, often injecting spontaneous humour, which made his social persona feel genuine.
🇨🇦 Canadian Lesson: Politics in 2025 is a visual and participatory medium. Younger voters live on meme pages, Reels, TikTok and Discord. A message that isn’t designed to travel across those spaces simply won’t reach them. Campaigns that cling to traditional graphics and text-heavy formats risk being tuned out.
Zohran’s charisma also helped. Supporters often described him as “smiley,” “giggly,” and deeply human. Hugging voters, cracking jokes, or debating serious topics – he embodied the tone of someone who felt peer-like, not paternalistic. That personal energy translated across screens and sidewalks alike.
Zohran Mamdani’s campaign fused digital energy with real-world organizing. Volunteers often found the campaign through TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, but their impact was seen in door-knocking blitzes, cultural events, and community forums across Queens.
His team didn’t just knock on doors—they met people where they were, whether that meant showing up at a temple festival, organizing town halls in multiple languages, or collaborating with community centers. This hybrid model helped turn digital excitement into real-world momentum.
🇨🇦 Canadian Lesson: Field operations don’t start and end with canvassing shifts. Volunteerism is evolving: younger voters are looking for campaigns that build belonging, not just door counts. Campaigns that spark online and move offline can build the kind of deep trust needed to overcome voter apathy, especially in low-turnout municipal races.
Digital Spending vs Digital Strategy: How Mamdani Outplayed Cuomo Online
Despite being massively outspent, Mamdani ran the more efficient campaign by far.
In the final three months of the primary, Mamdani and his affiliated PAC, New Yorkers for Lower Costs, spent approximately $240,000 on digital advertising. By contrast, Andrew Cuomo’s campaign and affiliated groups spent over $775,000 across four advertising channels, including more than $300,000 on Meta (Facebook and Instagram) alone. Zohran Mamdani’s campaign, meanwhile, spent $0 on Meta ads, relying entirely on organic social media reach.
And yet, when the votes were counted, Zohran Mamdani triumphed in first-choice ballots — a stunning return on digital investment.
Some analysts estimate Mamdani spent $19 per vote, compared to Cuomo’s $87 per vote. This difference wasn’t just about money — it was about how the money was used. Mamdani’s campaign invested in cultural storytelling, grassroots organizing, and participatory media, not just digital impressions.
🇨🇦 Canadian Lesson: A million-dollar ad budget can’t compete with a million believers. For Canadian campaigns, it’s not about how much you spend online—it’s how intentionally you blend storytelling, authenticity, and mobilization across digital and offline channels.
What Zohran Mamdani’s Campaign Means for Ontario, Alberta, and Beyond
Ontario’s 2026 municipal elections will feature wide-open mayoral races in cities like Mississauga, Brampton, and Hamilton. Alberta’s 2025 contests, especially in Calgary and Edmonton, will see debates around affordability, infrastructure, and urban governance.
These are cities filled with young, multilingual, mobile-first voters. They want politicians who speak to their lives and in their languages—figuratively and literally.
Zohran Mamdani’s win signals a broader shift: the next wave of successful campaigns may come from candidates who embrace digital fluency, cultural literacy, and grassroots authenticity, regardless of their partisan identity. Whether progressive or conservative, any candidate who can combine compelling messaging with community-rooted tactics will be ahead of the curve.
The Future of Political Campaigns: Learning from Zohran Mamdani’s Social Media Blueprint
What made Mamdani’s campaign powerful wasn’t just its progressive messaging. It was its fluency. Fluency in culture, in language, in the platforms people use, and in the lived experiences of urban voters.
In Canada, the surface-level engagement with multicultural voters has long been a source of frustration. Mamdani’s campaign proves that when you stop talking at communities and start creating with them, politics becomes exciting again. Participatory. Even joyful.
For any candidate looking to run—whether in Toronto, Edmonton, or beyond—Zohran Mamdani’s win is more than a headline. It’s a blueprint for meeting voters where they are and speaking to them in ways that resonate.
EOK Consults is at the forefront of political digital strategy in Canada. We help forward-looking candidates build campaigns that connect across culture, language, and platform. If you’re thinking ahead to the municipal elections in fall 2025 and 2026, let’s talk.
