Can a PA Democrat Replicate Mamdani’s Winning Campaign?

The question that every political is observer is asking right now, "Is there a Zohran Mamdani in [fill in the state/city]?" For those who were paying attention, here in Pennsylvania we saw similar candidates have success in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. I wrote about the model campaigns and how we should look to our own candidates for lessons for Real Clear Pennsylvania.

Commentators, operatives, and politicians looked at Zohran Mamdani's campaign and surveyed the landscape across the country. Who could be the next Mamdani? And what does it even mean to be the next Mamdani?

It is happening here in Philadelphia with the open Congressional seat in the city after U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans’ retirement. Could a Mamdani emerge here? Is it a progressive like Rep. Chris Rabb? Is it a younger politician like state Sen. Nikil Saval? Candidates for the seat are likely studying Mamdani’s campaign for lessons, from his crisp message to his compelling videos.

But if you look across the state, you can see similar contours of Mamdani’s win in recent elections in Pittsburgh, where there are already two case studies of similar young, exciting candidates winning in similarly entrenched political environments.

In Western Pennsylvania, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato ran and won against Democratic establishment-backed candidates. Both built multiracial, working-class coalitions. Both focused on clear, values-driven messaging. And both were initially dismissed as long shots.

In many ways, Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania politics have already navigated the same political waters now rushing ashore in New York. In 2022, for example, SLee narrowly won her congressional seat after defeating Steve Irwin in a Democratic primary. Irwin had much of the local and national establishment lined up with him.

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Both victories were early indicators that Democratic voters craved youth, a simple and direct message, outsider candidates who challenge the status quo, and a communications style that spans mediums and channels.

As we ask, who is the next Mamdani, it’s probably even more important to ask ourselves: Are we paying enough attention to the candidates in our backyards who have already taught us the lessons of how to run and win campaigns in the modern era?