Mamdani's youth support goes beyond New York. For many, he's now a national leader
toggle caption Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
It's been years since Democratic voter Lea Ash felt hopeful about a politician, but that changed recently.
"He's been really the only bright spot for me this year," she said. "[He] wants to listen to the people he's seeking to govern."
The 26-year-old is referring to Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York, who has centered his campaign on affordability concerns. For that reason, he easily has Ash's vote — if only she lived in the city he was running in. Instead, she lives more than 1,200 miles away.
"I would like to believe one day there could be a Zohran Mamdani for Gulfport, Miss., but I don't think that's ever going to happen, at least not in my lifetime," Ash said, acknowledging her state's deep conservative roots. "But it gives me hope that it can happen in other places across the country."
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In just a few months, Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblyman and Democratic
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