Hasan Piker, who is popular online as HasanAbi, celebrated and felt relieved that Zohran Mamdani won the recent New York City Democratic primary in the mayoral race. The political commentator and popular Twitch streamer who consistently backed progressive politics gave his reaction live as the results were announced.Hasan said: “A burden has been lifted off my shoulders.”The victory was a significant breakthrough for Mamdani, an Indian-American Muslim and democratic socialist who was running on an agenda of affordability, social justice and reform. The youth and the working-class citizens in the city supported his campaign in large numbers.To HasanAbi, an activist who has devoted years of his life talking about and defending left-leaning opinions on his streams, the win was not only a political outcome, but a demonstration that progressive movements can get elected in large-scale elections.HasanAbi was not afraid to talk about the importance the win had on him and the greater progressive community."I no longer have to prove this politics works,” he said during his live coverage, “I can just f-cking point to Zohran.”The moment reflected a sense of validation and relief that someone with Mamdani’s values had achieved mainstream political success.Zohran Mamdani’s path to victoryMayoral Candidate For New York Zohran Mamdani Holds Primary Election Night Party - Source: GettyThe victory of Zohran Mamdani followed a number of months of campaign based on affordability, housing reform, and social equity. He won over a number of renowned candidates, including a former governor Andrew Cuomo, in a surprising outcome as many viewed it. Mamdani frequently addressed issues concerning the necessity of fair housing, sound and safe public transport systems, and progressive taxes. The youth resonated with these issues as they felt uninvolved with the traditional politics. His victory indicated that grassroots campaigns were capable of competing against other candidates who had big donors and political influence.During his campaign, Mamdani put a lot of emphasis on transparency and accessibility. He conducted open forums, talked to individuals through the internet and made his campaign focused on listening and not speaking. His message was people-oriented and simple and enabled him to gain trust, which converted that trust into votes. The findings affirmed that his straight forward strategy had been successful in the different neighborhoods of New York City.Read More: “Jin being his own brand”: Netizens cheer as BTS' Jin bags “K-Pop Award” at 2025 Customer Trust No.1 Premium Brand Awards, only K-pop idol to do soHasanAbi’s reaction and its wider meaningThe win was emotional and reflective to HasanAbi. He has been an ardent advocate of policies that are consistent with the ones advanced by Mamdani. The fact that a person who shares the same values was able to gain a substantial political win appeared to take away the burden of incessant internet debates off his shoulders.To HasanAbi and his audience of observers, Mamdani was a triumph of change in a system that can be perceived to be resistant to transformation. It was an indication of his excitement that left-leaning politics could come out of internet debates and into actual governance.Read More: “A true role model inside and out”: Netizens buzz as BTS' Taehyung opens up about his healthy eating routine in latest Q&A with YUNTH