Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral win in New York City was a warning of what could lie ahead in American electoral politics—especially the enthusiasm that he inspired among younger voters. Those aged 18–29 had the highest turnout of any group, at 35 percent, almost double its level in 2021. Mamdani’s democratic socialist agenda also draws support beyond New York. An Axios/Generation Lab poll conducted days before the mayoral election found that 67 percent of college students held a positive or neutral view of socialism; only 40 percent said the same about capitalism.
Support for socialism and for figures like Mamdaniprimarily comes from young people who feel priced out of the American dream—owning a home, securing a stable job, and starting a family. Many first confront the gap between expectation and reality when they enter college and take on substantial debt, a stark contrast with the youthful freedom that older Americans often associate with their own college years.
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On college affordability, Democrats have built brand trust: voters expect subsidies from them. The issue is salient enough that even local politicians like Mamdani, who have relatively little jurisdiction over higher-education policy, feel compelled to voice broadcommitments to boosting university subsidies.