In a stunning post-election turnabout, Caitlin Clark supports Zohran Mamdani, the new mayor of New York City.
In an unexpected headline, WNBA star Caitlin Clark has entered politics, at least on social media, and thrown her full support behind Zohran Mamdani, the recently elected mayor of New York City. On Wednesday morning, the Indiana Fever guard posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) that lit up timelines all over the country.
”Congratulations on your election as the next mayor of New York City, @ZohranKMamdani! I support his fight for real equity, free transit, and affordable housing because I’m a New Yorker at heart. Fans, get involved and help leaders who inspire us! Clark wrote, “#NYCForward #MamdaniMayor,” and in a matter of hours, her post had received over two million likes.
There is nothing more electric about the timing. The political world was rocked by Mamdani’s unexpected victory on Tuesday night. In a contest that altered the political landscape of New York, the 34-year-old Queens Democratic Socialist defeated two political titans: Republican Curtis Sliwa and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was running as an independent. Mamdani received slightly more than half of the vote, making him the youngest mayor in over a century as well as the first South Asian and Muslim to hold the office.
Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and grew up in New York, ran on a platform that included universal childcare, free buses, rent freezes on stabilized apartments, and higher taxes on the ultra-wealthy. Young people, many of whom look up to Clark for her fearless play and support of equity in women’s sports, enthusiastically turned out in large numbers, and his message resonated with working-class voters. In response, Mamdani tweeted, “Caitlin gets it.” “The goal is to create a more equitable New York for all, from the court to City Hall.”
Supporters are already organizing while detractors, such as former President Donald Trump, who had supported Cuomo, warn of “socialist chaos.” After Clark’s post, volunteer sign-ups in New York City reportedly increased overnight. Caitlin Clark appears to be an expert at both driving change and draining threes. And if her impact is any guide, the political game in New York is just getting started.
