Can a PA Democrat Replicate Mamdani's Winning Campaign?

Everyone is still trying to figure out what to make of Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York City’s mayoral primary.

Going into election day, Mamdani had some polling momentum, and all of the vibes momentum, but it was still widely expected that Cuomo would pull out a victory.

On election day, Mamdani won early and convincingly in a ranked-choice election, sending the city and the political world into a frenzy.

Mamdani became an inkblot test to confirm your prior opinions:

And so on and so on. Mamdani’s win – and the way he won – gave something to everyone.

Commentators, operatives, and politicians looked at his campaign and surveyed the landscape across the country. Who could be the next Mamdani? And what does it even mean to be the next Mamdani?

It is happening here in Philadelphia with the open Congressional seat in the city after U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans’ retirement. Could a Mamdani emerge here? Is it a progressive like Rep. Chris Rabb? Is it a younger politician like state Sen. Nikil Saval? Candidates for the seat are likely studying Mamdani’s campaign for lessons, from his crisp message to his compelling videos.

But if you look across the state, you can see similar contours of Mamdani’s win in recent elections in Pittsburgh, where there are already two case studies of similar young, exciting candidates winning in similarly entrenched political environments.

In Western Pennsylvania, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato ran and won against Democratic establishment-backed candidates. Both built multiracial, working-class coalitions. Both focused on clear, values-driven messaging. And both were initially dismissed as long shots.

In many ways, Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania politics have already navigated the same political waters now rushing ashore in New York. In 2022, for example, SLee narrowly won her congressional seat after defeating Steve Irwin in a Democratic primary. Irwin had much of the local and national establishment lined up with him.

While he wasn’t a politician, Irwin was a longtime fixture in Western Pennsylvania politics. Irwin was backed by powerful local and state Democratic institutions from former Gov. Ed Rendell to the district’s retiring U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle.

Lee was significantly outspent and relentlessly attacked as too radical. However, like Mamdani, Lee tapped into a grassroots energy that overcame the spending disparity. Lee was a strong and nimble communicator. She had a clear message and anti-establishment rhetoric.

Like Mamdani and Cuomo, there was a significant age difference between Lee and Irwin, and Lee was able to capture energy and a deeper supporter and volunteer base, mobilized both in person and online.

Meanwhile, in her 2023 bid for Allegheny County Executive, Sara Innamorato followed a similar path, defeating longtime western Pennsylvania figures John K. Weinstein and Michael Lamb.

Again, the dynamics between the races were similar. Innamorato was a younger, progressive candidate with grassroots credibility taking on better-funded, establishment-aligned opponents. And just like Lee and Mamdani, Innamorato leaned into a simple, accessible, and inclusive message against the status quo and around community and built a diverse, community-rooted movement.

Both victories were early indicators that Democratic voters craved youth, a simple and direct message, outsider candidates who challenge the status quo, and a communications style that spans mediums and channels.

As we ask, who is the next Mamdani, it’s probably even more important to ask ourselves: Are we paying enough attention to the candidates in our backyards who have already taught us the lessons of how to run and win campaigns in the modern era?

Mark Nicastre is a crisis and advocacy communications consultant in Philadelphia, where he runs Fitler Square Strategies. Most recently, he was the Communications Director for former Gov. Tom Wolf.