QUEENS – Following a long political campaign, Zohran Mamdani was elected Mayor of New York City on Nov. 4, besting previous New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams. Mamdani’s victory comes with the support of an electorate that is not totally dissimilar to the Solano College community.
Four out of the five major boroughs managed to culminate in an electoral upset, with newcomer Mamdani winning the majority of votes across the city. Save for Staten Island, which recorded the least amount in voter turnout, ultimately voting in favor of Andrew Cuomo.
Exit polls also indicate that the diversity amongst voters has fluctuated, with people who identify as women turning out in bigger numbers compared to those who identify as men.
These same exit polls also serve to denote voters by race specified, with the majority of voters being white. However, amongst people of color, as well as the younger masses, votes heavily favored Mamdani. Latino voters ages 18-29 specifically, held a prominent 85% of those votes.
When looking at the numbers from a perspective around religion, voters who do not consider themselves religious and those claiming “Other” came out in strong numbers accounting for 75% and 72% approval for the Democratic candidate respectively.
Considering this exit poll data, it can be deduced that first time voters, as well as voters who moved into the city within the past 5-10 years have shown their support for Mamdani who campaigned heavily amongst younger audiences.
From creating promises to make the city more affordable, to an appearance at a Pinkpantheress show, Mamdani led a very progressive campaign that attracted many young people of color, which ultimately resounded with the majority of the city voting in favor of his Democratic Socialist views.
In an interview with CNN after the election results, Democrat Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was quoted saying “He had to defeat a Republican and the old guard of the Democratic party at the same time and he still won resoundingly.”
“[…] I think the message that that sends is that the Democratic Party cannot last much longer by denying the future, by trying to undercut our young, by trying to undercut a next generation of diverse and upcoming Democrats that […] our actual electorate and voters support.”
For those who view this message as a sign of hope, this mayoral election cycle proved to create ripples among the nation, with President Trump chiming in, going as far as labeling Mamdani as a “Communist”. A label that Mamdani openly rejected in an appearance on NBC’s Meet The Press back in June.
After winning the election, Mamdani has embarked on a goodwill victory lap around the city, visiting schools and meeting with community members so they can put a face to the name.
Meanwhile, here in Solano County, those ripples have begun being felt. After the last two presidential elections many experts predicted Solano to flip red after neighboring counties bent the knee to President Trump, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
According to the Associated Press official election results, Solano County remains very much a liberal stronghold. In unison, California also held local elections on November 4th, with Proposition 50 being the hot ticket item on the ballot. That Democratic influence proved to be pivotal in this election as the Election Rigging Response Act won in a landslide, meaning the state will now utilize a new legislature-drawn congressional map from 2026 to 2030.
Mamdani’s victory cannot be overstated. It has gone on to prove that even under a Republican Presidential Administration, Democratic Socialists are still able to break through to the mainstream by putting boots on the ground to carry out their progressive actions.
This Blue Wave may go on to serve as a response to the adversity that Socialism has faced in a time where Fascism is on the rise.
Mamdani may be the first Democratic Socialist to break through, but don’t expect him to be the last.
