Run Zohran Run!: Inside Zohran Mamdani's Sensational Campaign to Become New York City's First Democratic Socialist Mayor

A gripping inside look at how Zohran Mamdani's bold, grassroots campaign toppled New York's political establishment and delivered the city's most progressive mayoral victory. Grounded in firsthand knowledge of an insurgent campaign,Run Zohran Run!charts the unexpected rise of Zohran Mamdani and his victory in New York City's 2025 Mayoral Democratic primary. Mamdani's straightforward platform-a rent freeze, free buses, universal childcare, and city-run grocery stores-cut through the noise of mainstream politics and resonated with working-class voters struggling in an increasingly unaffordable city. A 33 year-old immigrant who openly identifies as a democratic socialist, Mamdani drew in Muslim and South Asian voters historically sidelined in city politics. His robust support for Palestinian rights upended traditional politics in New York City, where even the most liberal elected officials refuse to criticize Israel. The campaign faced relentless institutional resistance-attacks from theNew York Times, theNew York Post, and vitriol from disgraced former governor Andrew Cuomo and former mayor Michael Bloomberg-but it also demonstrated how Left campaigns can be won. Whether plunging into the icy water of Coney Island on New Year's Day to promote a rent freeze or letting a Knicks' fan spin a multi-colored basketball on his head at an NBA game, Mamdani's innovative and theatrical campaign captured the public. At the same time, a massive ground operation led by the Democratic Socialists of America mobilized tens of thousands of volunteers to knock on more than 1.5 million doors. As fast-paced and compelling as its subject,Run Zohran Run!reveals how a charismatic candidate and a vibrant grassroots campaign ended a New York dynasty and set the stage for thefirst democratic socialist mayor.

About the Author :
Theodore Hammis the author ofBernie's Brooklyn: How Growing Up in the New Deal City Shaped Bernie Sanders' Politics. He wrote about the 2025 race forThe IndypendentandDrop Site, and his articles about New York City politics have also appeared inJacobin. Hamm is chair of journalism at St. Joseph's University in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.

Review :
“An energizing jolt of hope. The inside story of how it happened and what it took to win, so that other people in other places can take inspiration.” —Astra Taylor, author of Remake the World and co-founder, Debt Collective “Like Mamdani, Hamm ignored the conventional wisdom set by political consultants and legacy media — and reported from the ground on a movement that is reshaping American politics. In the process, Hamm reminds us that the best journalism is fearless, compassionate, and uncompromising.” —Mohamad Bazzi, director of the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies and professor of journalism at NYU “Zohran is the future and Hamm knows why. If you want in on the secret—and who wouldn’t?—of how a 33-year-old, pro-Palestinian, avowedly Muslim, democratic socialist will become the mayor of the largest city in the USA (inshallah!), read this poppin’ book by one of New York’s sharpest political journalists. And read it now.” —Moustafa Bayoumi “Trenchant advocacy journalism at its finest.” —Mark Jacobson “A fascinating and important read.” —Lindsey Boylan “An informative, adulatory look at a grassroots candidacy galvanizing young voters and reshaping urban politics.” —Kirkus Reviews “Hamm mixes Jimmy Breslin's gritty details with Pete Hamill's big-picture prose. No matter what happens in November and beyond, Run Zohran Run! will remain an indispensable window into what America's political future might be.” —Greg Grandin “With a storyteller's ease, Hamm chronicles Zohran Mamdani's canny and humane spirit and style. If you want to understand the Mamdani phenomenon and maybe replicate it, this is the book for you.” —Alejandro Varela “Not a campaign diary. Not another politician’s memoir. A record of a kid chased by history—Uganda, 9/11, ICE at the airport—who decided to run straight into politics anyway.” —Migrant Insider