Hi John,
After Zohran Mamdani’s history-making win in New York City, every pundit, podcaster, and party gatekeeper has been scrambling for answers. How did a young progressive with no name ID, no establishment backing, and no corporate PAC money beat a former governor bankrolled by billionaires and become mayor of the nation’s largest city?
We could just tell you. But what’s the fun in that? So here’s a quick pop quiz for you:
Can you guess what really powered Zohran Mamdani’s win? Was it…
A. His charisma?
B. His laser focus on affordability?
C. A multigenerational beef against Andrew Cuomo?
D. A historic alliance with Curtis Sliwa’s cats?
E. Or the public financing system that amplified small-dollar donations?
If you guessed the last one — bingo. That’s right John! ⭐️
We’re not denying that Zohran’s charisma, message, and organizing mattered. But the reason he had a real shot — the reason voters even heard his message — is that New York City has a public financing system that matches small donations and gives ordinary people, not billionaires, the power to fund campaigns.
Zohran even had to make a video asking people to stop sending him money. That is UNHEARD OF in politics — but it was possible because of public financing.
That’s what helped level the playing field. That’s what allowed a young, unbought candidate to win the mayoral race — in the financial capital of the world and home to more billionaires than anywhere else — while running on an aggressively progressive platform with zero corporate PAC money. And it’s why national public financing would mean far fewer emails like this one.
Because here’s the truth: without public financing, grassroots campaigns have no choice but to fundraise constantly. Not because they want to — but because the alternative is letting corporate PACs, mega donors, and political machines decide who gets to run.
For young, community-rooted, working-class candidates, asking supporters like you for $5 isn’t optional. It’s survival. It’s the only way they can afford to run at all without selling out their communities or values. That’s why we email you so often, John: outside the few places with public financing, supporters like you are the only path outsiders have into public service.
Now for your final pop quiz question: How do we make wins like Zohran the norm, not a miracle?
If you guessed:
“By electing more unbought progressive leaders who will fight for public financing and a government that works for people, not corporations,”...
🎉ding ding ding! 🎉
This is exactly why Leaders We Deserve exists: to help young, working-class leaders win power now, so they can fight for a better system and open doors for more leaders like themselves in the future.
But we can’t build that future without you, John. Until we win national public financing, this work happens one race — and one email — at a time.
If you want more leaders like Zohran — and fewer emails like this — it starts here.
Thank you for your continued support.
— Leaders We Deserve
