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By now, much ink has been spilled and many takes have been shared on the resounding 12-point victory of Zohran Mamdani over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo last Tuesday in the New York City primary to become the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor. There are many reasons for this win, including Mamdani’s talents; his clear progressive message focusing on affordability in one of the most expensive cities in the country; and his excellent use of social media, earned media, and traditional ads.

Mamdani’s plans were almost immediately denounced as “unrealistic” and pie in the sky by political commentators. The Atlantic suggested that his accessible, unified message of affordability — with key policies, such as free child care, free bus service, and rent freezes for New York City’s 2 million rent-stabilized tenants — was a form of “magical realism.” Pundits and political elites repeatedly claimed that such universal affordability type policies did not speak to voters of color, but rather only appealed to highly educated white younger voters. Underlying the tired trope of the socialist “Bernie Bro” was the implicit idea that Mamdani’s voter base would be limited only to college-educated transplants, out of touch with the experience of working-class communities of color.

Despite nearly universal opinions and polling data predicting a Cuomo victory, the underdog’s victory last week revealed many of his advantages. Commentators have pointed to a plethora of explanations — Cuomo’s toxicity and scandals, as well as Mamdani’s charisma, political talent, clear messaging, and excellent social media strategy and ground game. The City called his tens of thousands of volunteers Mamdani’s “army,” and according to the campaign, canvassers knocked on over 1 million doors.

All of these factors undoubtedly contributed to Mamdani’s win, but these were obvious factors prior to his upset victory. One factor of Mamdani’s campaign that gets less attention is its grassroots nature, which goes beyond merely running an impressive ground game door-knocking operation; Mamdani’s campaign is grassroots in its origins, its associations, its practice, and its theory of governance. The media does not quite understand this orientation, because most candidates and politicians are so divorced from the grassroots. The clarity of Mamdani’s message and his unique........

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