Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani was able to turn social media engagement into votes during the campaign cycle in a way that's never been seen before.

From videos of the 34-year-old at a PinkPantheress sold-out concert in Brooklyn to meeting a local bodega cat, Mamdani met people from all walks of life and documented it on social media.

"The takeaway here is not that you need to do better TikTok videos," said Carlos Calzadilla-Palacio, president of the Brooklyn Young Democrats. "The takeaway from Mamdani's victory is you need to stand for something."

Calzadilla-Palacio was one of many Gen- Z influencers and content creators who helped elevate Mamdani's message.

The 28-year-old recently quit his job working for a local state senator to create content on politics full time.

He said as a staffer in Albany, he would see how good legislation is killed by armies of lobbyists. He's hoping this new energized arm of the Democratic party will deliver a new form of politics.

"We are seeing a politics right now that people are hungry for which is actually being genuine and actually treating people not as subjects, but actually as partners in a fight for a better world," he said.