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<\/p>\nNew York Gen Z voters flexed our muscles to give Mamdani a primary win. Now we have to lock in and do it again in November.<\/p>\n
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Zohran Mamdani responds to President Trump’s threats<\/p>\n
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani responded to President Donald Trump’s threats of arrest, saying it’s “an attack on democracy.”<\/p>\n
Back in June, New York state legislator Zohran Mamdani shocked the country by defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a crowded field of Democratic candidates in the party\u2019s New York City mayoral primary. In the process, he did something that Democrats have repeatedly failed to do: Mobilize Gen Z voters.<\/p>\n
News outlet PIX11 reported that according to the New York City Board of Elections<\/a>, voters ages 25-34 had the largest turnout of any age group in the city, with 40% of early voters being under 40 years old. A quarter of these young voters, who range from young millennials to the oldest members of Generation Z, were first-time primary voters.<\/p>\n Yet instead of studying Mamdani\u2019s success, political pundits seem to be blaming members of my generation for voting the way that they did this election. Mark Penn and Andrew Stein wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal calling Gen Z the \u201cuseful idiot generation<\/a>,” saying that we have been \u201cindoctrinated to blame capitalism.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe all know that you can\u2019t have just free stuff,\u201d Penn, a former adviser to the Clintons, said in an interview on Fox News<\/a>. \u201cThat never works; it always deteriorates. But they don\u2019t have any history or knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n This argument is patronizing and willfully ignorant.<\/p>\n We aren’t “indoctrinated” by our college education. We are disillusioned by the way society operates and don’t believe that corporations will save us. We are unsatisfied with the income inequality<\/a> that plagues the United States and are stressed<\/a> about our own finances. We believe that something better is possible. Now, we must plan to show Democrats these facts come November, so that we can show Republicans next.<\/p>\n I’m a Gen Z ‘useful idiot’ who wants it all to change<\/p>\n I am one of those so-called useful idiots, a twentysomething Gen Z voter who ranked Mamdani first on my ballot back in June. I was torn between him and New York Comptroller Brad Lander up until I was in the voting booth, where I ultimately decided to go with my gut.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t rank Mamdani first because I wanted to fit in, or because of his social media presence. I voted for Mamdani because I believe progressive policies can make New York City a better, more equitable place. I agree with taxing corporations and the wealthiest residents to provide services to the working-class people who keep our city running.<\/p>\n