“I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.” This quote from Eugene Debs is how mayoral elect, Zohran Mamdani, began his victory speech. While he goes on to explain how this “dawn” will rise over New York City, rays of it have already begun to shine across humanity on a global scale.
In the current political climate and crushing news cycle, Mamdani’s win brought voters hope. This hope contained not only optimism that change is on the horizon, but that there is still power in the public’s vote and voice.
Ghosts of Elections Past
The younger generation often laments that the older generations don’t prioritize the proper policies and politicians in general. However, when it came to the 2024 Presidential Election, youth voters were seemingly missing from the polls. The New York City Campaign Finance Board published a “Voter Analysis Report” for 2024, which revealed, “In November, 57.1% of voters under 30 turned out — still lagging behind older age groups.”
Whether it was Gen Z being scared of elections past or just excited for the prospect of what this mayoral race could do for them, they learned the value of a vote. According to NYCVotes.org, “Voters aged 18 to 29 had the highest turnout of any age group at 35.2%, about twice their turnout in 2021 at 17.9%.”
Often, it feels like one person can’t possibly effect change, but the votes tell a larger story. They show a generation, even a people, united under the same idea. That idea brought about a change in votership and in the current political climate as well. New York was not the only state to have high turnouts, nor the only one to be so blue.
In Virginia, their primary race led to the election of their first female governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger. According to ABC News, Spanberger and New Jersey’s Democrat, Mikie Sherrill, are set to make history again. When the two take office in January, there will be fourteen women serving as governors, a record-breaking number.
Mamdani State of Mind
While Mamdani’s victory undoubtedly has brought change and inspiration to the American people, his impact travels much further. When speaking with CBS, Joseph Beyanga, CEO of Uganda’s National Association of Broadcasters, was excited for Mamdani’s win. He compared the excitement in Uganda to that of what Kenyans and Indonesians felt upon President Barack Obama’s first election.
This jubilation isn’t only found amongst places Mamdani has lived, even the recovering people of Palestine are celebrating this as a victory. “The election of Mr. Mamdani is truly inspiring. It reflects a great uprising among the younger generation of the United States, including Jewish younger generations, against political and social injustice,” Mustafa Barghouti, General Secretary for Palestine National Initiative, said to the Associated Press.
Mamdani has yet to even take office, but already is uniting people across the globe and across the aisle. He represents the fact that the government should work for its people, not the other way around. Mamdani’s win proves that the power truly lies with the people’s vote.
How have you already seen the impacts of Mamdani’s victory? Let us know on Instagram or X @VALLEYmag!
