I spent the last week in Istanbul. It’s a wild place. Crowded, beautiful, chaotic. A little bit like New York in that way; the noise, the warmth, the sense that everyone’s mid-conversation even if they’re on their own. It reminded me why I love New York so much. The people. The food. The culture. And above all, the stories.

What struck me the most when I spent a week in NYC last summer wasn’t just the skyline or the bagels or the late-night comedy clubs. It was how everyone is a storyteller. The guy shouting about his block’s history outside the bodega. The waitress in a taco joint talking about her parents building the business from scratch. The friends-of-friends you meet who all have an origin story ready to go. New Yorkers know how to tell stories, and more importantly, they know that telling your story well is how you get ahead.

So, what’s that got to do with today’s ramblings?

Well, I want to talk about a guy I can’t stop seeing on my feed. A New Yorker, obviously. A politician, weirdly. And someone who I think is running one of the best creator-led campaigns I’ve ever seen.

His name’s Zohran Mamdani. He’s an assembly member in NYC and, if the internet has anything to say about it, maybe the city’s next mayor. And while that might seem like a strange thing for a content producer (yours truly) to write about… bear with me. Because this guy isn’t just running for office. He’s thinking like a creator. And he’s fucking crushing it. 

Here’s what he’s doing right, and what the rest of us can learn from it:

1. He understands collaboration
Mamdani’s recent video with NYC legend Kareem Rahma (“Keep the Meter Running”) didn’t just give him reach. It gave him cultural legitimacy. Creators use each other’s audiences to cross-pollinate and deepen community. He’s doing that, but in politics. I wouldnt be surprised if we see him appear on Flagrant in the coming days, or working with other big NYC creators. It’s where Kamala’s campaign failed last year - and Zohran is setting the record straight.

2. He’s built a shortform engine
This isn’t “political messaging.” It’s native, smart, and genuinely engaging. His “stop giving me money” reel nails the visual hook. A recent video opens with a stupidly simple but genius retention device: “Can he keep his hands in his pockets the whole time?” Political content that looks like a MrBeast thumbnail. It’s so Black Mirror, but in a very reassuring way.

3. He’s multilingual on purpose
Zohran speaks directly to New Yorkers in English, Hindi, Urdu, and Spanish -  not for vanity metrics, but because he knows who lives in his city. It reminds me of MrBeast dubbing his videos in every language he possibly can, except Mamdani’s doing it with his actual voice. He’s not campaigning to the internet. He’s building trust with the auntie group chat. (I know this first hand, because i’ve received several videos from family in india via whatsapp including this incredible one of him explaining ranked voting using mango lassi)

4. He’s the story
But what I think is his biggest strength. He’s not afraid to be the content. His campaign isn’t the boring polished party political nonsense we see in the UK, and his competitors are spewing out across the pond. It’s chaotic, warm, and occasionally messy. You really do believe him. he’s willing to show up not just as a candidate, but as a person. And that’s rare. Especially in politics, but even on the internet. 

What Mamdani is doing  - consciously or not (and i would put money on it being very consciously) is running a campaign like a creator launches a product. Constant audience touchpoints. A clear POV, memorable character, genuine emotion, and a really strong why.

He’s not just telling people what he wants to do. He’s showing them who he is. And that might just be the most effective content strategy in the world.

Mamdani isn’t just campaigning, he’s creating.