Transcript

We asked New Yorkers why they were so moved by Zohran Mamdani’s campaign

From NPR · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 3 min · 436 words · 8 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "We asked New Yorkers why they were so moved by Zohran Mamdani’s campaign", an episode of NPR published November 5, 2025 (3 min, about 436 words). It mentions 10 people, works and ideas, including Zaran Mandani, campaign, America's largest city, New Yorkers, workers.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 2:44: campaign, Zaran Mandani, affordability, America's largest city

Notable quotes from "We asked New Yorkers why they were so moved by Zohran Mamdani’s campaign"

  • This was a dramatic night for Zoran Mandani who has won the mayorship in America's largest city. And one of the things that's dramatic here at his victory celebration is how hopeful and.
    about Zaran Mandani · at
  • To elect someone who says time and time again and so genuinely that he's going to fight for so many New Yorkers. even the ones that did not vote for him.
    about New Yorkers · at
  • President Trump is promising to cut off funds to this city. there are huge concerns across all the five bureaus about crime and public safety, affordability, rising prices, and…
    about five bureaus · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

Concepts & topics

  • campaign — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
    Affordable. But the other thing that they're talking about is the tone of his campaign. And I want you to hear some of these voices.
  • workers — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Like it was a product and finally you had a candidate who spoke from the heart, spoke about workers, spoke about the people, spoke about kindness.
  • public safety — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Funds to this city. there are huge concerns across all the five bureaus about crime and public safety, affordability, rising prices, and so now that he's won this election…
  • affordability — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Concerns across all the five bureaus about crime and public safety, affordability, rising prices, and so now that he's won this election, making huge sweeping promises of change, the mayor elect has a lot of work to do.
  • crime — Concept · 1 mention
  • mayoral election — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

  • America's largest city — Place · 1 mention · first at
    This was a dramatic night for Zoran Mandani who has won the mayorship in America's largest city. And one of the things that's dramatic here at his victory celebration is how…
  • five bureaus — Place · 1 mention · first at

Full transcript with timestamps

This was a dramatic night for Zoran Mandani who has won the mayorship in America's largest city. And one of the things that's dramatic here at his victory celebration is how hopeful and happy people are again and again as I've been talking to people in the crowd. Folks have talked about his policies, his fight to make the city more affordable. But the other thing that they're talking about is the tone of his campaign. And I want you to hear some of these voices.

I voted for Zoron and I've been voting in every mayoral since catch. Okay. And this is the first one that I feel that tells the truth.

As a brown man myself, it's very rare to see um someone with my skin complexion being shown in such a positive light.

To elect someone who says time and time again and so genuinely that he's going to fight for so many New Yorkers. um even the ones that did not vote for him. Um I feel I feel really excited by that.

I voted with my parents. Uh it's a tradition of ours. My mom was crying the entire way to the polling station and uh it was very emotional for all of us to uh see a candidate on the ballot that represents us. always felt that the politicians here have been inauthentic in the last I I couldn't ever find them saying anything that hadn't been completely surveyed, pled, marketed for like it was a product and finally you had a candidate who spoke from the heart, spoke about workers, spoke about the people, spoke about kindness.

Zoron's campaign and his message was about what we can do and why we should do it to make things better and to work together as opposed to the other campaigns which were about what is wrong, what was wrong, what we should be afraid of.

I like the tone of his campaign and he always had a smile. So I really I really appreciate someone that was smiling and the the smile seems sincere.

So this is a really big celebration night for Zoron Mandani. But it's important to remember that the hard work begins now. This is a moment when President Trump is promising to cut off funds to this city. Uh there are huge concerns across all the five bureaus about crime and public safety, affordability, rising prices, and so now that he's won this election, making huge sweeping promises of change, the mayor elect has a lot of work to do.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "We asked New Yorkers why they were so moved by Zohran Mamdani’s campaign"?

In order: 0:00 campaign, Zaran Mandani, affordability, America's largest city.

What is mentioned in this NPR episode?

10 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Zaran Mandani, campaign, America's largest city, New Yorkers, workers, five bureaus. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "We asked New Yorkers why they were so moved by Zohran Mamdani’s campaign"?

The episode runs 3 min; the transcript is about 436 words in 8 timestamped sections.

More from NPR

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.