Zohran Mamdani owes his spectacular political rise to one New York City demographic above all others: South Asians.
And while they make up only 5% of the city’s population, this rapidly growing ethnic group is making itself heard.
South Asian turnout in June’s Democratic primary increased by 40% compared to 2021.
This was no accident. Mamdani’s strategy included a series of direct appeals to Desi New Yorkers — underscoring the increasing importance of these voters to the future of both NYC and the country.
On Feb. 5, when Emerson College released its first mayoral primary poll, a plurality of Asians (20.8%) named former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who had not yet officially entered the race, as their first choice — while just 2.6% listed Mamdani.
But subsequent polls showed the Democratic socialist making steady gains, and by May, Emerson found the Asian vote split evenly between the two.
Clearly, the politically adroit Mamdani had found a lane to exploit.
How did he do it? With relentless, culturally sensitive outreach to the city’s South Asian Muslim communities — particularly its Bangladeshis, Indians and Pakistanis.
Continue reading the entire piece here at the New York Post
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Renu Mukherjee is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images