At the final New York mayoral election debate last Wednesday, October 22, frontrunner Zohran Mamdani didn’t arrive in a taxi, SUV or even a yellow cab – he walked with his supporters. It was a mode of transport emblematic of the democratic socialists’ entire grassroots campaign. Despite President Donald Trump’s threats to cut off federal funding to NYC if Mamdani is elected mayor, and wealthy real estate titans and other billionaires throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars into coordinated attack ads, Mamdani has continued to prove his ability to mobilise New Yorkers with his affordability agenda. He’s also inspired countless highly specific “For Zohran” accounts online, including Hot Girls for Zohran, Gays for Zohran, Jews for Zohran, Palestinians for Zohran, South Asians for Zohran and Italian-Americans for Zohran (you get the idea). 

Abid Mahdi, the 15-year-old behind Teens for Zohran, says he saw “a bunch of other X, Y, Z for Zohran groups” on social media and thought: Why not start his own for teens? “He had mobilised young people in such a way that I wanted to see more teens get involved, because the majority I saw were older Gen Z, and not teenagers,” says Mahdi. “You don’t really hear about a mass movement of young adolescents mobilising politically.” Many of the teens who are canvassing alongside Mahdi are too young to vote themselves. Still, there’s a strong feeling of solidarity across the Zohran groups. They organise events together, share joint posts, and even wear each other’s “for Zohran” merch. “A lot of people on the other side have been accusing Zohran supporters of getting paid, but I want to emphasise that we are all volunteer and supporter-led,” says Katia Portela, the founder of Gays for Zohran. 

We spoke to Mamdani in June about his “campaign to allow New Yorkers to dream once again”. Ahead of election day on Tuesday, November 4, we ask the admins behind five ‘For Zohran’ groups online why they mobilised for the mayoral candidate, and what their dream is for the future of New York City.

ABID MAHDI, TEENS FOR ZOHRAN

He’s my Bernie Sanders in so many ways. What makes me excited is the vision he has when speaking about his plans for New York City. He actually has a sense of hope – a break from the cynical cycle of local officials who are either incompetent or lack direction. Trump uses populism to divide, but Zohran shows the opposite is possible: that unity between people from different backgrounds can win.

“Even though I can’t vote myself, I’ve probably helped persuade hundreds of people to vote either directly or indirectly by leading canvases. There was this one moment back in Juneteenth when I was leading an event in Roy Wilkins Park in Queens. Zohran spoke on the podium and then, after that, went through a little tour of the park, greeting people. He pulled me aside and said, ‘I see you in all the event photos, you are working hard, but please get some rest, keep yourself hydrated and be safe out here.’ It was a very touching moment for me. That’s the kind of person Zohran is, which is why I love him. 

“My dream is a New York where people aren’t forced to do something that they don’t want to, whether that be living in a lifestyle that they don’t agree with or an ideology. I want a New York that isn’t controlled by corporate interests and billionaires. I want a New York that’s sustainable for all and is welcoming to all – a New York that doesn’t price out people, that has great public institutions, while small businesses are still thriving. We shouldn’t be competing about who can give healthcare for the most money; people should be competing about who can make the best pizza slice.”

JOE WINOGRAD, SERVICE WORKERS FOR ZOHRAN

“It was me and several other unionised Starbucks baristas who started the group together. We were talking about wanting to canvas for Zohran, and I had the idea of calling it ‘baristas for Zohran’, but one of my coworkers wanted to call it ‘service workers for Zohran’ to keep it a but more broad. It took on a life of its own once we launched the group. 

“I think what’s so amazing about this moment is what it reveals about us as American citizens. We’ve seen what Zohran has been able to tap into: giving people hope. Then we’ve seen people mobilise. He’s a fantastic politician, but the thing that’s most exciting about Zoran is seeing what his campaign tells us about ourselves as people. We do have the power to make changes together and shape our own future.

“One of the things I want to see in New York is for homeless people to no longer be on the streets – to be cared for and supported. I just think in the wealthiest country in the world, we should aspire to no longer have chronic homelessness. Other things would be making public transit more accessible, and finding ways to ease pressure points in the economy in ways that actually benefit the working class. I think that Zohran actually has the working class in his heart.”

NAJIA ELYOUMNI-PINEDO, DEAFIES FOR ZOHRAN

“Stephanie Johnston and I created the Deafies for Zohran page on Instagram. The purpose of the account is to make Zohran’s platform accessible to the Deaf community using American Sign Language (ASL). A lot of Deaf people aren’t really exposed to politics because of language barriers and not having information in their natural language. 

“Zohran excites me because he is truly for the people. He’s a real New  Yorker who understands what it’s like to live and struggle in this city. I see him representing us – not the Democratic Party, which has too often failed its people. He has no connection to big‑money lobby groups and proudly stands with Palestine. That takes courage. His openness and integrity have earned him so much respect from people in this city and beyond.  

“My dream is to see New York City become an affordable place where everyone can live with dignity. Too many hardworking people are struggling just to make ends meet, while the rich and powerful pour their money into politicians who protect their own interests. So many are barely surviving, and the stress of it all is taking a real toll on their health. That is not OK. I dream of a city where everyone can earn a living wage, where no one has to sacrifice their well-being just to pay the bills, and where people can truly thrive instead of merely getting by.”

KATIE PORTELA AND CORBIN LOPEZ, GAYS FOR ZOHRAN

Katia Portela: “I’m a lesbian and, as someone who has worked on political campaigns in the past, I’m really passionate about bridging the gap between the LGBTQ+ community and politics. Our identities as queer people are so inherently political, but when it comes to having a seat at the table with policies, there isn’t a lot of queer representation, especially for women, trans and non-binary people. I feel like Zohran’s campaign has changed the game in mobilising LGBTQ+ New Yorkers in a way I haven’t seen before. 

“Zohran’s morals, especially being a cisgender straight man who is unafraid to be such a strong ally for us, have definitely sparked a lot of our community to mobilise. He leads with morality and humanity, which seems like it should be such a baseline thing for a politician, but it’s so unheard of nowadays. It has inspired so many of us to mobilise, including me. This is the first local election I’ve ever voted in, and I’m canvassing, so it definitely feels hopeful in a time where there isn’t a lot of hope. 

Corbin Lopez: “New York is the best city in the country, and this mayoral race has attracted so many eyes from across the world. So when we win, not if we win, it’s going to bring hope to a lot of people across the country that you can organise in progressive spaces. You don’t have to use the old playbook from the Democratic past. You can use this newer, more progressive language and still win. New York City is a beacon of hope across the country – they will see there is a path forward and follow suit.”

KRISTINA LOPEZ, CATS FOR ZOHRAN

“Everything in my life right now revolves around the fact that I’m fighting a holdover eviction. I’m a rent-stabilised tenant, and through this process I’ve learned firsthand what a vote really means. In my time of need, I went to the offices of some local representatives in tears – and saw that the person I voted for couldn’t even listen. So when Zohran talks about affordable housing and holding bad landlords accountable, it really resonates with me.

“I’ve received countless cat photos. I have a backlog of cat photos, which I’m ferociously trying to get through, hopefully before the election. I just want to keep up the momentum as much as possible. I think one of the valuable things that Cats for Zoran does is that the cats are inherently cute, but it’s serious topics. It feels like a breath of fresh air from all the bad things in our moment in time as well. 

“My dream is just for New Yorkers who are born and raised here to stay here and not be pushed out. My goal is for young people in my community, particularly West Harlem, to feel like they belong, and for elderly people to feel like they’re still valued in their communities. I know that’s housing-focused and not necessarily cat-focused, but cats are often houseless heroes.”