From New York to the Netherlands, Election Day went well for TikTok’s favorite politicians

TikTok is the hot new tool in the world of political campaigning, and two newly elected government officials have shown just how potent that tool can be. On the same day that Zohran Mamdani secured his status as the next Mayor of New York City, Dutch politician Rob Jetten harnessed his TikTok following to become the youngest Prime Minister in the history of the Netherlands.

Both Mamdani and Jetten are Millennials who defeated more established candidates with some help from their respective social media operations. Mamdani, who now has 1.7 million followers on his official TikTok account, used snazzy videos to paint himself as a yonger, hipper alternative to Andrew Cuomo. Though Cuomo tried to keep up, he couldn’t.

Jetten, who counts 121,000 followers on his official TikTok account, also used his social media activity to relate to common people. “You could see his human side,” one of Jetten’s voters said. “He’s just a nice guy.”

Mamdani can tell his own story of plain talk and a down-to-earth attitude. He ran his campaign on the promise of bold ideas that didn’t needed to be dressed up with fancy, consultant-approved language. “We will leave mediocrity in our past,” Mamdani said during his mayoral victory speech. “No longer will we have to open a history book for proof that Democrats can dare to be great.”

This is the second year in a row that big-name streamers received front-row seats to an elected official’s victory party. Last year, right-leaning influencers like Adin Ross and the Nelk boys earned kudos from Trump and his supporters after helping to propel the Republican nominee back into the White House. This time around, the political affiliations are flipped, but the energy is the same: Mamdani solidified his alliance with left-wing internet personality Hasan Piker 

by inviting the streamer to join his revelry.

When you look at how thoroughly Mamdani was able to inspire New York City’s young people, you can understand why political consultancies will surely push candidates down the Zohran path in future election years. The culture brought about by the “influencer election” of 2024 is here to stay, and pundits are looking for the next upstart who will ride a wave of TikToks to a coveted office.

Will it be Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive firebrand looking to turn her TikTok success into an Illinois Congressional seat? Or what about Saikat Chakrabarti, whose bid to primary Nancy Pelosi is underpinned by a Zohran-style social media presence?

If you’re a cynical sort, you might conclude that there won’t be another Zohran Mamdani. We’ve already seen thinkpieces suggesting that the idea of the TikTok candidate will be overplayed in upcoming electoral cycles. “The upcoming midterm cycle is going to be very funny,” Piker tweeted after Mamdani got out the vote during a DJ set at a Brooklyn gay bar. “Lots of politicians trying to do stuff like this, not realizing why it isn’t hitting the same way.”

But if you think Mamdani’s ascension can’t be replicated, then you’re not paying attention to what’s happening overseas. Jetten, Romanian President Nicușor Dan, and Cypriot prankster-turned-MP Fidias Panayioutou have all used TikTok to create popular upwellings of support. For the candidates of the future, a robust social media presence will likely become the rule, not the exception.