UMKC Students Take Notice of Mamdani’s NYC Mayoral Win

  New York City’s election of 34-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani immediately caught UMKC student Sabina Long’s attention, saying the win felt surprisingly hopeful.

  “It was like you’ve had the worst academic week ever, you’re super stressed, and then you get one week of smooth sailing,” Long said. “You finally get a breath of fresh air.”

  Long, a communications major and political science minor, first encountered Mamdani through Instagram Reels. His campaign leaned into social media and Gen Z humor. She later watched him speak in a livestreamed interview with political commentator and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. 

  “He was the first socialist Democrat I’d ever seen have that kind of power and platform,” Long said. “And when he won, by a landslide, it felt like something actually shifted.”

  That shift was built on young voters. Early estimates show more than 75% of voters aged 18 to 29 supported Mamdani. 

  Even though Kansas City is far from New York, his win sparked thoughts across UMKC about political identity and generational change.

  For Samuel Lamar, president of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) chapter, the result wasn’t surprising.

  “I was expecting most young people to vote for Zohran,” Lamar said. “Young voters are more aware that the system they’ve grown up in, since 2008 especially, is not working for them. They’re worried they won’t be able to have a home, a sustainable job, a family.”

  Lamar stressed Mamdani’s strength came from offering something that felt totally different. 

  “What young people are looking for is a different perspective,” Lamar said. “Zohran offered something different.”

  He sees this win as part of a larger change.

  “Socialism isn’t a dirty word anymore,” Lamar said. “Five years ago, you’d get told to get out if you said you were a socialist. But Mamdani winning a major office really normalizes it.”

 Lamar remains cautious about expectations.

  “What he’s actually advocating for is closer to welfare capitalism,” Lamar stated. “But it’s a foot in the door. Now we’re a part of the normal political spectrum.” 

  Long connected the win to what she’s seen in her classes. 

“We’ve been conditioned for so long to think a socialist is the worst thing you can be,” she said. “Young people are finally separating from that umbrella of propaganda.”

  For her, the election was proof that Gen Z is not as disengaged or hopeless as the internet suggests.

  “It reminded me that not everything is as extreme as it is online. People do care. People want change,” Long said.

  She also voiced some concerns, specifically about Mamdani’s risk of misplaced expectations.

  “If even one of his policies doesn’t work, people will latch onto that and say socialism doesn’t work,” Said Long.

  UMKC YDSA Education Chair Xander McKie said he didn’t intensely follow the race, but the outcome made sense.

  “Running on things that materially benefit people, like reducing the price of groceries, matters to everyone,” McKie said. “It engages people and gets them to go out and vote.”

  McKie sees the youth turnout as part of a broader generational movement toward wanting something outside of the two major parties.

  “Young people want real change, not lip service,” McKie said. “We’ve seen that shift happening for a while. People are ready for something beyond the Democratic Party.”

  He notes the importance of balancing excitement with realism.

  “It’s 100% okay to be excited,” McKie said. “But this is still a city election, and not our city. We need systemic change everywhere. It’s great to win, but I don’t want it to be a temporary thing. It should continue.”

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