Just a year ago almost no one had ever heard of him. Just a name in a crowd. A fairly obscure member of the New York State Assembly. Just one in a packed pool of Democratic candidates running for mayor of New York City. A longshot.
Now he is the leading candidate in the city’s mayoral race next Tuesday, November 4. A democratic socialist who has ignited a movement. A glimmer of hope amid dark days. Hope for not just New York City, but elsewhere around the country, and a road map for other progressive candidates.
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Written and produced by Michael Fox.
All clips in this episode were taken from Zohran Mamdani’s Instagram page.
Resources
- Your guide to the billionaire-backed groups working to push Dems right in 2026
- 4 Reasons why Trump is afraid of Zohran Mamdani
- CNN Anchors shill for Cuomo as mainstream media attacks Mamdani again
- Corporate media is trying to take down Mamdani. This is why they’re failing.
- Democrat elites try to destroy Zohran Mamdani’s chance at NYC mayor—will they succeed?
- Zohran Mamdani delivers stunning blow to ‘billionaire-backed status quo’ in NYC
Transcript
Zohran Mamdani.
Just a year ago almost no one had ever heard of him. A name in a crowd. A fairly obscure member of the New York State Assembly. Just one in a packed pool of numerous Democratic candidates running for mayor of New York City. A longshot.
Now he is the leading candidate for mayor. Poised to take the office. A democratic socialist showing the way. A glimmer of hope amid dark days. Hope for not just New York City, but elsewhere around the country. A road map for other progressive candidates.
Zohran Mamdani is the 34-year-old son of a filmmaker and academic. He was born in Uganda, grew up in New York, and is a U.S. citizen. Mamdani has inspired thousands. Flipped the script. And pushed to turn the tables on the political establishment in New York. He’s been engaging people like never before in a New York City mayor’s race with powerful social media posts and a campaign platform that resonates with everyday New Yorkers.
A radical campaign platform focused on lifting up the working class.
It’s been grassroots all the way.
And hard work.
That was in June, shortly after Mamdani defeated the former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a shocking upset in the city’s Democratic primary. That was supposed to have put Mamdani on a clear road to victory in the election on November 4. Instead, Cuomo wanted another shot. He’s now running as an Independent alongside a Republican challenger polling in a distant third.
Mamdani leads the race by a wide margin, despite a disinformation and racist attack campaign from his opponents. Mamdani’s campaign says that 90,000 people have now volunteered for his run at City Hall. 90,000 people touching millions of lives in the name of hope. In the name of Mamdani.
But Zohran Mamdani has faced a rabid fear campaign from the right and the mainstream media. Two Republicans in Congress have called for his citizenship to be stripped. He’s suffered attacks from far-right groups, Zionist activist groups, and even U.S. President Donald Trump.
But Mamdani hasn’t backed down. Mamdani is of Indian descent and Muslim. And he’s created an unprecedented coalition of Muslims and Jewish supporters. One person commented on a recent video of his: “As a Jewish kid I was raised to never forget the hatred that gave rise to the horrors of the Holocaust. The Islamophobia directed at Zohran is every bit as evil.”
Another comment reads: “You have shown how politics can be built on kindness and solidarity over hate and xenophobia. You have shown how being open and honest about yourself and your values, you can build a political movement that people from all over the world can stand behind.”
Mamdani is showing a way through these dark times. Leading with hope and inspiration. Unity and love. And a platform that stands for the working class. Not the elites and the tech bros, the rich and powerful. But the people who struggle to get by each month. The immigrants who have come to New York from around the world. Those who truly make America great.
Mamdani is showing a way through the darkness. A way that others can follow. With an inspiring platform of change. And thousands of New Yorkers are standing up to join him.
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Hi folks, thanks for listening. I’m your host Michael Fox.
The New York Mayoral election is this Tuesday, November 4.
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This is the latest episode of Stories of Resistance, a podcast series produced by The Real News. Each week, I bring you stories of resistance and hope like this. Inspiration for dark times. If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, share, comment, or leave a review.
Thanks for listening. See you next time.
This post was originally published on The Real News Network.