Hope belongs to all of us

You normally won't hear from me this often, but I felt I had something to add to the already rapid discourse amongst leftist circles about Mamdani's win - I'd love to kōrero with anyone who has a different perspective.

In Zohran Mamdani’s winning New York mayoral campaign, and Zack Polanski’s highly successful tenure as Green Party of England & Wales leader, ‘hope’ has been the guiding star. Green Party’s rallying call, “let’s make hope normal again” has helped to grow their membership to over 150,000 members - surpassing the Conservatives in membership numbers - and boosted them dramatically in polls on voting intention. There are other similarities between the two campaigns: vibrant, engaging social media strategies - though Zack Polanski interestingly argues this wasn’t relevant to Mamdani’s win - charismatic, well-spoken young(ish) men in charge, and the backing of community. I think all of these factors are relevant to their success, but I’m most interested in the similarity of their policies, the driving force of ‘hope’, and what this ‘hope’ can actually mean for us as leftists. 

"For the first time in a long time, hope doesn't feel embarrassing. It feels earned."

- Liz Plank in 'Zohran Just Cured My Seasonal Depression'

Let me take a second for joy: it is incredibly uplifting, energising, and honestly FUN to see socialists get elected. I’ve voted in too many elections that have seen increasingly right-wing candidates take the win, and by now am used to steeling myself for major election day disappointment. Watching Mamdani win will fuel my hope meter for a while to come. Seeing the regular Instagram updates from the Greens as their membership surges has had a similar effect. That feeling you get in the third act of a film when your hero achieves a moment of resolve, of victory.

It’s not because I think Mamdani or Polanski as individuals will save us; established governments across the West are unlikely to lead the revolution against capitalism. I’m hopeful though because election results are representative of the mood and attitude of the community. Representative of the policies and the politics that excite people and drive them to vote. Inevitably there’s an element of personality and media narrative that will sway voting, but Mamdani and Polanski have both overcome significant negative media attention and repeatedly put the policies back at the forefront of conversation. 

This is what won in New York this week: 

• Rent freezes, affordable housing, and better rights for tenants
• Free buses
• Price control on food
• Free childcare
• Taxing the 1%
• Trans rights
• Liberation for Palestine
• Funding for libraries 
• Reproductive rights
• Immigrants’ rights

The Greens are platforming many of these same causes, notably trans rights and Palestine, which were thought to be political Kryptonite prior to Mamdani’s win. There is a lot to be hopeful for here. New Yorkers turned out in huge numbers to vote for a kinder and more hopeful city. 

It’s no wonder that the concept of hope has resonated so strongly with people in 2025. And that that hope has mobilised people; without hope for our future, we can't sustain the energy to be politically active. This is why right-wingers trade in misery. Trump, a political figure that seems to overshadow all of Western politics, peddles a politic of fear and isolation. Mamdani and Polanski have repeatedly referenced Trump throughout their campaigns as a figurehead of the oppressive political dynasty they are fighting to dismantle. Trump tells us we cannot trust each other, nor the mainstream media, politicians, or even his own friends (remember the public blowup with Elon Musk?).

While Trump plunges the USA into fascism, people are plagued by a ‘loneliness epidemic’ that undoubtedly is connected to a lack of trust in neighbours, in their local community. Mamdani has won his election because, despite all odds, people came together as a community to build a grassroots campaign that won. People knocked on doors, gave their money (Mamdani’s campaign was funded by donations that averaged at $80, compared to his competitor Cuomo who received numerous donations in the millions), ran silly Instagram accounts (shoutout Gays for Zohran) and dragged their friends to the voting booth. Mamdani and Polanski have served as strong political role models; they’ve demonstrated solidarity between Jewish and Muslim communities, and proclaimed allyship with trans people as cis men. Political stances we have been told by mainstream media are ridiculous, even unelectable. Despite this political leadership, the ‘hope’ that won the New York mayoral election was the hope of a community. Mamdani is one person, a leader that allowed people to rally together, but he could not have won anything alone. 

Now that we’ve seen the success of hope as a political platform - even in relatively small ways in the scheme of things - I believe that more of us should feel empowered to embrace hope as a tool for community organising. ‘Making hope normal again’ is not just a Green Party trademark, it’s a mission that motivated people to mobilise, and should encourage us to connect with each other beyond electoral politics. Living a hopeful life could look like this:

• Giving your money directly to people who need it (like families in Gaza, or people fundraising for gender-affirming healthcare)
• Doing small kindnesses for people in your community, and accepting them in return (yes, help a friend move house! Take them to the airport! Deliver them soup when they’re sick! And say yes when they offer it back!)
• Volunteering for a local community group (in Tāmaki Makaurau we’ve got heaps of awesome mahi going on; for example Sunday Blessings or Auckland Women’s Centre)
• Donating food to your local pātaka kai, or books to your nearest little library 
• Taking direct action; protesting, disrupting, actively creating obstacles for those who are harming people in our community
• Joining activist groups like Tāmaki Makaurau Anarchists, or People Against Prisons Aotearoa
• Planting a vegetable garden or volunteering for a community garden
• Handmaking little gifts for people you love 
• Tagging/stickering public places (like bus stops) 
• Building relationships with your neighbours 
• Trying to resolve conflicts with people rather than ghosting or cutting them off (this could be a whole other kōrero) 
• Spending time out in nature, no screens, and letting your mind settle

This list could go on for a long time. What I want to convey is that living hopefully can include mobilising for an election (I would love to see the Greens get elected in the UK) but also bettering our communities, establishing mutual aid and trusting relationships, looking after each other when governments fail us. Let’s feel the hope that news like Mamdani’s win can instill in us and also not let ourselves fall into the trap of believing that politicians alone will save us. Let’s make hope something that we recognise in each other, and not just in elected leaders.