Heartland/Rasmussen Poll: 52% of Young Voters Have Favorable Impression of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani

SCHAUMBURG, IL (November 13, 2025) – A shocking new poll by The Heartland Institute’s Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center and Rasmussen Reports reveals that New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s democratic socialist policies are widely supported by young Americans across the political spectrum, who overwhelmingly believe the cost of housing in America has reached a crisis level.

The survey found that even four-in-10 young Americans who voted for President Trump in 2024 have a favorable view Mamdani and nearly half support Mamdani’s campaign policies at a national level.

The survey, designed by The Heartland Institute, included 1,496 likely voters aged 18-39. It was completed on November 2, 2025.

See the poll questions and the crosstabs here.

Housing Affordability Crisis: Seventy-four percent of young Americans, including 70% of self-identified conservatives, believe the “cost of housing in America has reached a crisis level.” More than half (56%) of self-identified conservatives would support a congressional proposal to expand government housing and a nationwide rent freeze. In the 2028 election, 42% of Democrats said they would vote for a Republican presidential candidate if he or she offered the best plan to reduce housing costs while 45% of Republicans would support a Democratic presidential candidate if he or she offered the best plan to reduce the cost of housing.

Government-Run Grocery Stores: A strong majority of likely young voters favor Mamdani’s idea for the government to address the rising cost of food by opening government-run grocery stores in every town in America. More than half of conservatives (53%) and moderates (53%) support government-run grocery stores in order to reduce the rising cost of food.

Democratic Socialism Could Win Big in 2028: More than half of young likely voters (51%) say they would like to see a democratic socialist win the White House in 2028, with those aged 18-24 most supportive at 57%. Surprisingly, this includes 42% of conservatives, 42% of moderates, and 66% of those making more than $200,000 per year. Among the few cohorts who would not support a democratic socialist presidential candidate in 2028 are those earning $100,000-$200,000 per year and those with a high school diploma/some college. Those without a high school diploma (59%), college graduates (51%), as well as those with a graduate degree (62%) would like to see a democratic socialist in the Oval Office as soon as 2028.

The Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center serves as the “tip of the spear” in identifying and confronting the underreported challenges that threaten American sovereignty, individual liberty, and free-market capitalism. The EIC brings these emerging threats to the forefront of public and political awareness, empowering citizens and policymakers alike to act in defense of freedom and a thriving free-market society.

The poll has a margin of sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

See the full results of the poll below, including some of the key data from the crosstabs.

The following quotes, provided by Heartland Institute experts, can be used for attribution:

“Zohran Mamdani is a savvy politician who makes socialism sound reasonable in soundbites on social media. He repeats socialist slogans and presents simple solutions to complicated, intractable problems. Like it or not, socialism with a smile is resonating among young people who want to believe that these bumper sticker plans will actually address the affordability crisis that makes them feel like the American dream is no longer attainable. As such, it is incumbent upon leaders from both political parties to present alternative solutions to the cost-of-living crisis or else the United States of America could become the United Socialist States of America.”

Chris Talgo
Socialism Research Fellow
Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312-377-4000 x207

If you’d like to interview a Heartland Institute expert on this topic or other topics, please contact Donald Kendal, the director of the Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center and one of the primary authors of the Heartland/Rasmussen survey, at [email protected], or contact Executive Vice President and Director of Communications Jim Lakely at [email protected]. You can also call/text Jim at 312-731-9364.

Survey of 1,496 18-39 US Likely Voters
Conducted October 31 – November 2, 2025, by Rasmussen Reports and
the Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center

1. The next presidential election is in 2028. Would you like to see a democratic socialist candidate win the 2028 presidential election?

2. Has the cost of housing in America reached a crisis level?

3. Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is currently the front-runner to win New York’s next mayoral race. Do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable impression of Mamdani?

4. Mamdani’s policy platform includes a proposal to create government-owned grocery stores, to help reduce the rising cost of food. Would you support a law that would expand Mamdani’s proposal for government-run grocery stores to every town in America?

5. Mamdani’s policy platform includes a proposal to freeze rent in many of the city’s apartments and to build 200,000 new rent-regulated apartments. Would you support a proposal in Congress to expand Mamdani’s plan for more government housing and rent freeze nationwide?

6. Are you more likely to vote for a Democrat, Republican, or a candidate from another political party in the 2028 president election?

7. Would you be willing to vote for a Republican presidential candidate if you believed he or she offered the best plan to reduce the cost of housing?

8. Would you be willing to vote for a Democrat presidential candidate if you believed he or she offered the best plan to reduce the cost of housing?

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence

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