Behind the historic victory of the 34-year-old who will be sworn in as mayor in January stood a strategic mind: Zara Rahim, a communications expert who has been working at the intersection of politics, culture and digital strategy for more than a decade.
When Zohran Mamdani shocked New York politics by defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary and then winning the mayoral election, public attention focused largely on his social media presence and the fact that he was a magnet for young voters. But behind the historic victory of the 34-year-old, who will be sworn in as mayor in January, stood a strategic mind: Zara Rahim, a communications expert who has worked at the intersection of politics, culture and digital strategy for more than a decade.
THE STRATEGY THAT CHANGED THE CAMPAIGN
Rahim, who has served as Mamdani’s senior adviser since February, gave instructions that became the “axis” of the entire campaign. As the New York Times reports, she urged Mamdani to “forget the New York that political strategists invent” and build “a campaign for the real city.” That message became the foundation of a massive grassroots movement that mobilized more than 90 volunteers and activated voters who had been off the radar of the city’s political elite for years.
AN IMPRESSIVE CAREER
The 35-year-old, who hails from a Bangladeshi-American family and grew up in South Florida, has an unusual profile for a political strategist. She began her career as an intern on Barack Obama’s reelection campaign in 2012, where she was quickly promoted to Director of Digital Content for Florida. There, she learned how to use the power of social media to educate voters. After that experience, Rahim worked in the White House Office of Digital Strategy, then at Uber, where she helped draft legislation for ride-hailing services.
In 2016, she joined Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and then moved into the fashion world, as the Communications Director at Vogue magazine from 2017 to 2018. During that time, she collaborated with well-known names in fashion, art, and politics, honing skills that would later be crucial in building Mamdani’s public image. More recently, Rahim has worked as an independent communications consultant, with notable clients including A24, Mariah Carey, and Netflix.
A CAMPAIGN BASED ON AUTHENTICITY
For Mamdani’s campaign, Rahim built a strategy based on authenticity and direct contact with communities, especially those often overlooked by traditional campaigns. She realized that a strong social media presence wasn’t enough if it wasn’t backed up by real-world involvement on the ground. According to the New York Times, Rahim organized an intense schedule of events, with TikTok and Instagram videos shot in between meetings with residents. Mamdani spoke in Spanish and Hindi, addressing the city’s multicultural community workers.
“There are Bangladeshis or people from West Africa who have never voted in a mayoral primary,” Rahim explained. “But when they see someone who goes to their mosques and treats their neighborhood with respect, they feel included,” she added. Today, about a million Muslim residents live in New York.
DEALING WITH ATTACKS
Rahim’s strategy also included how to respond to political attacks. When Andrew Cuomo made comments that Mamdani’s supporters called Islamophobic, Rahim immediately responded, publicly condemning his rhetoric. “He’s trying to appeal to Muslim voters just by saying, ‘Look at this bad Muslim,’ it’s a desperate tactic by a man who has nothing to say to Muslims,” she told CNN.
A WINNING TEAM AND A HISTORIC TRANSITION
Rahim worked closely with key campaign figures such as Maya Handa, Tascha Van Auken and Faiza Ali, who played a crucial role in the victory. Van Auken led a massive volunteer operation that knocked on 1.6 million doors during the primaries alone, conducting 247 conversations with voters. In the general election, the volunteer network expanded to over 90 people. The campaign combined classic door-to-door organizing with online videos that went viral.
Mamdani’s online videos garnered tens of millions of views, but above all, the campaign maintained, as the team describes it, a “culture of connection,” rather than the “culture of exploitation” typical of traditional campaigns.
Following Mamdani’s victory on November 4, he announced an all-female transition team, including Zara Rahim, former Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Lina Khan, former Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, United Way President Grace Bonilla, and former Vice Mayor Melanie Hartzog. The team will lead the preparations as Mamdani takes office on January 1, 2026, making history as the first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian descent, and the youngest in more than 100 years to lead New York City.
