Mamdani’s Win, Research Campaigning, and You

I’m joining the ever-growing community of people with hot takes about Zohran Mamdani’s historic win, but I’m going to attempt to highlight something different and less talked about…

Mamdani started at 1% name recognition with 50-to-1 odds against him. He ended at 50%+ of the vote with over a million New Yorkers choosing him as their mayor

From this nerd’s perspective, the most exciting thing to watch about this campaign was watching the use of research AS strategy.

By combining professional research infrastructure , grassroots qualitative insights , and systematic validation, the campaign built strategic intelligence that overcame massive resource disadvantages. 

Here’s how Zohran’s team embraced research:

“Building Around Listening" = Ethnographic Research

Mamdani and his campaign team repeatedly shared that a pillar of their approach was listening to what New Yorkers needed; and then campaigned on those needs. With 100,000+ volunteers conducting 1.6 million door knocks framed as "listening sessions," the campaign transformed canvassing into ethnographic research where volunteers asked "what people needed" rather than just pitching the candidate.

This created a research-to-policy pipeline: free buses, rent freeze, universal childcare, and city-owned grocery stores all originated from voter conversations, not think tanks. As one analysis noted, this gave proposals unique legitimacy grounded in lived experience.

Engaging With Ignored Populations = Strategic Opportunity Analysis

Rather than optimising for existing likely voters (the traditional approach), Mamdani's research identified underserved populations with high persuadability and mobilisation potential:

• Young voters (18-34): Achieved 93% Gen Z support; turnout nearly doubled/tripled in some areas

• First-time voters: Generated 37,000 new registrations (12x increase vs 2021)

• Muslim voters: Canvassed 100+ mosques, reached 200,000+ voters

• Working-class neighbourhoods: Won in Brownsville, East New York, and other traditionally overlooked areas​

Exit Poll Alignment = Validation Research

Mamdani's affordability messaging wasn't coincidental—it emerged from systematic listening that was later validated by exit polls showing cost of living as voters' #1 concern. This demonstrates message-market fit achieved through research rather than guesswork.

• 55% of respondents said Cost of Living was their number one concern and 66% of those respondents voted for Mamdani

• In contrast, 22% of respondents ranked Crime as their primary concern, which aligned with Cuomo’s key messaging. And 67% of those respondents did vote for Cuomo. 

This goes to show that even if your key messaging is consistent, even if you have institutional support, nothing beats campaigning on what people need. Traditional politics relies on persuading the ‘most likely to vote’ demographics with messages that resonate with them specifically. 

NWF Strategies = Professional Research Infrastructure

Sathvik Kaliyur, CEO of NWF Strategies, served as part of Mamdani’s core team. NWF Strategies is known for strategic campaign research such as:

• Voter file analysis with SMS propensity scoring

• Stratified sampling by demographics

• Real-time data collection via canvassing apps

• Predictive modelling and microtargeting 

This expertise no doubt ensured research insights translated directly to strategic decisions and resource allocation.

And this is the winning difference between approaches.

Traditional approach used by Cuomo Campaign: 

Research → Strategy → Action

People over 40 historically are more likely to vote → We will conduct message testing for people over 40 → We will use our resources to target this demographic

Fresh approach used by Mamdani Campaign:

Research AS Strategy = Action

When we listened to people we heard that folks of all ages, gender, and backgrounds were deeply concerned about affordability = We’ll campaign heavily on affordability and engage with all voters in the run up to the election

Key takeaways for applying a research-as-strategy framework:

1. Research Creates Competitive Advantage When Outspent - Better targeting, messaging, and segmentation create efficiency that overcomes resource disadvantages​

2. Participatory Research Builds Movements - Using volunteers as researchers creates dual benefits: data collection + ownership and commitment​

3. Research Legitimises Policy - Policies from voter conversations have authenticity that think tank proposals can't match, building trust​

4. Technical + Grassroots = Multiplier Effect - Professional analytics combined with qualitative insights creates unbeatable strategic intelligence​

5. Research Enables Electorate Expansion - Don't just optimise for existing voters; identify and mobilise new ones to fundamentally transform the electorate

The Research-as-Strategy framework isn't just theory—Mamdani's campaign is the proof of concept. It shows that systematic research, active listening, and data-driven decision-making aren't just nice-to-have; they're the competitive advantage that wins elections.

The lesson is clear: In modern campaigns, strategic intelligence wins over raw resources.

PS. Want to start applying these strategies but unsure where to start? Send me an email: hello@terraloire.com