Zohran Mamdani unintentionally drew attention to Hinge last month when the New York mayoral candidate shared that he met his wife, Rama Duwaji, through the app. "There's still hope with those dating apps," he said on a podcast shortly before his unexpected win in the Democratic primary. The story spread online, reinforcing the 33-year-old democratic socialist’s image as an ordinary millennial. A later headline in a popular magazine read: “Zohran Mamdani could make history (as the first NYC mayor to meet his wife on Hinge).”
Hinge representatives did not respond to requests for comment, but many New Yorkers reacted, saying they were encouraged to return to the app despite past frustrations. “Now I’m putting in serious effort,” one user posted on social media. “If he found love there, maybe I can too,” another commented.
However, some users may face an obstacle when building their profiles. Along with standard questions—such as habits and education—Hinge asks users to select their political stance: liberal, conservative, moderate, not political, or simply “other.”
For some left-leaning individuals, the “liberal” label doesn’t align with their socialist beliefs, as they associate it with establishment politicians. Conversely, liberals often view policies advocated by Mamdani—such as rent freezes and wealth taxes—as too extreme. Some socialists might prefer to distinguish themselves from centrist liberalism, opting instead for more progressive identifiers.
“There’s strong interest in dating leftists right now,” said Abby Beauregard, an organizer for a socialist group in New York. She noted that Mamdani’s win has sparked fresh energy in the city’s dating scene, but added, “it’s difficult to find spaces specifically for leftist connections. Most apps offer a ‘liberal’ option, but not an explicit leftist one—and ‘other’ is too vague.”
As a result, politically progressive singles are finding clearer ways to express their views on and off dating apps.
Some users craft detailed personal statements in their profiles, outlining their beliefs in response to app prompts. Symbols like watermelon emojis appear as nods to political solidarity, while others explicitly state they won’t match with certain groups.
“Those indicators matter to me,” said Caroline, a 38-year-old Queens florist. “Right now, there’s a positive shift where people openly embrace leftist or communist identities, and it’s refreshing.”
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