Can Zohran Mamdani, a Socialist and TikTok Savant, Become NYC Mayor?

In the crowded race for mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani has become a magnet for attention, ascending in the polls and raising money through a mix of social media savvy and a plain-spoken, everyman approach.

He has paid house visits to some of his thousands of small donors and taken a New Year’s Day plunge into the ocean to dramatize a rent-freeze. He broke a Ramadan fast by eating a burrito on the Q train, then faux apologized for the breach of subway etiquette — all in a breezy style more reminiscent of “Saturday Night Live” than a political ad.

But for Mr. Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman from Queens, winning the Democratic primary in June still represents a daunting challenge that goes beyond trying to convert social media virality into votes.

While many of his progressive rivals in the race have adopted more centrist positions on certain issues like policing and public safety, Mr. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, continues to embrace left-leaning views that have become less popular with voters in New York.

It has nonetheless proved to be an effective campaign strategy. Mr. Mamdani has become the standard-bearer for progressive Democrats as a fresh-faced alternative to his more veteran rivals, most notably former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams and Brad Lander, the city comptroller.

But winning an election on a hyper-progressive platform will be a challenge. Mr. Mamdani acknowledges this and knows he must get his supporters — many on the far left and outside the city’s traditional power structure — to turn out in droves.