Who's who in the circle that helped Mamdani become mayor of New York

"It's one of those unmistakably Washingtonian customs: at the end of a successful election campaign, there's an urgent need to identify the mastermind sitting quietly behind the scenes who made it possible. There's James Carville (It's the economy, stupid!) and Bill Clinton; Karl Rove, architect of George W. Bush's success; David Axelrod, who knew how to complement Barack Obama's political talent; and Susie Wiles, the woman who added method to Donald Trump's return to the White House in 2024."

"Behind the meteoric rise of the socialist Zohran Mamdani, who recently won the mayoral race in New York City and has transformed from being virtually unknown just a year ago to a global figure, there is a group of people, mostly young, some even younger than him (he is 34), who helped him design a highly effective social media campaign that has also created a movement of over 100,000 volunteers."

"Without a doubt, there hasn't been anyone as important as her in the campaign, notes Gustavo Gordillo, co-chair of the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the party the candidate has been associated with since 2019 and without which his rise would also be impossible to understand. The mayor-elect appointed her chief of staff a couple of weeks ago."

Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race after a rapid rise from near anonymity to global prominence at age 34. A mostly young team designed a social-media-driven campaign that mobilized over 100,000 volunteers. Elle Bisgaard-Church emerged as a key collaborator and was appointed his chief of staff. The campaign's connections to the Democratic Socialists of America since 2019 played a central role. The mayor-elect added experienced figures to the transition team, including budget veteran Dean Fuleihan and police commissioner Jessica Tisch, blending youthful digital organizing with institutional expertise for governance.

Read at english.elpais.com