<
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/mamdani-effect-young-progressives-run-for-office>
"In mid-July, Erik Clemson signed on to a Zoom call from Honolulu, Hawaii,
energized by a mayoral candidate in a city far across the country, to hear how
he could run for office himself.
Clemson, a 39-year-old machinist instructor who has a YouTube channel where he
explains the economy, had long considered a political run some time in the
future, but Zohran Mamdani’s upset victory provided a push off the sidelines.
“After I saw Mamdani win the primary in NYC, I decided to stop wasting time and
try to learn what I can as soon as I can,” Clemson said.
Clemson is one of more than 10,000 people with an interest in running for
office who signed up for Run for Something – a progressive political
organization that helps younger candidates learn the ropes – after Mamdani won
the primary. He’s part of a surge in young progressives who saw Mamdani’s win
in June as hope for a different brand of politics and plan to learn from his
example.
“They saw a young person who took on the establishment against the odds and was
able to center the issues that young people really care about – cost of living,
especially, housing, childcare, transportation – and talk about it in a way
that felt hopeful and made people feel like maybe better things are possible,”
Litman said.
The Mamdani bump blends together excitement about the candidate, interest in
leftist policies and zeal for shoe-leather campaigning, both on the ground and
online. The organization recognizes that it’s not that Mamdani’s exact policy
ideas should be the focus of campaigns nationwide, but that campaigns should be
tailored to and inspired by the people they will directly serve."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
