Gen Z focus group shows excitement about Mamdani, lack of trust in establishment

A focus group of young New York City residents conducted during the early voting period in a hotly contested mayoral race found that Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani's message of affordability resonated with participants concerned about the cost of living in America's largest city. Researchers from the Harvard Institute of Politics asked the group aged 22 to 29 about the biggest stressors in their lives and their preferences in this year's mayoral race in order to better understand the political attitudes of New York City's young voters. The study comes as the role of the youth vote in this year's election for mayor has loomed large, with Mamdani in particular receiving praise for his social media strategy that allowed him to tap into the Gen Z vote in the Democratic primary. It could als