What Credit Unions Can Learn From Mamdani’s Campaign

In the wake of Tuesday’s elections, there’s a lesson for credit unions that transcends politics and policies: purpose-driven communication works when it’s grounded in real life, focused on what matters most, and delivered with authenticity.

Zohran Mamdani just won the mayoral election for New York City with the highest record count since the 1960s.Whether you agree with Mamdani’s proposals, his ability to connect with everyday New Yorkers on a central message of affordability — through authenticity, clarity, and hope — offers insights far beyond politics. For credit unions, which exist to serve those same everyday needs, his campaign offers four lessons in purpose-driven communication.

1. Focus on clear, meaningful issues, and don’t get sidetracked.

Mamdani’s campaign ran with a relentless focus on affordability in housing, transportation, and cost-of-living burdens. In his daily campaign, he didn’t chase a dozen topics; instead, he returned again and again to what matters most to people’s daily lives.

Credit unions can similarly do more by doing less. Truly understanding what matters to your constituents — e.g., the people in your field of membership — is crucial to creating a compelling narrative for why you deserve their trust when it comes to their financial wellbeing. Narrowing your focus to a few high-impact areas where you can truly make a difference strengthens your identity and deepens impact.

In Ohio, Wright-Patt Credit Union ($9.4B, Beavercreek, OH) has made affordable housing one of its defining priorities. A cross-departmental Housing Collective there unites lending, financial education, and philanthropy to expand the credit union’s reach and relevance in the housing space. The collective partners with local nonprofits to support first-time homebuyers and turn purpose into property. It also serves as a strong reminder that when you pick a single need and commit to it, people take notice.  You can read about that on CreditUnions.com.

2. Speak in the language of real-life problems, not financial industry jargon.

Rather than talk in policy code, Mamdani told true stories about long commutes, rent burdens, the cost of childcare, and grocery bills. He showed people he understood their frustration with a system that wasn’t working in their best interest.

Credit unions can tap that same understanding of people’s lived experiences. And, most importantly, credit unions have the right ownership structure to ensure they’re working on behalf of member-owners.

Unfortunately, too often credit unions translate that message into rates and ratios rather than real-life narratives. Members under financial stress don’t care about an extra 25 basis points on their credit card rate; they care about saving an extra $50 this month. They don’t need a car loan; they need a safe way to get to work tomorrow. And even when they don’t need a specific product, they need to have faith that their financial institution isn’t trying to milk them for every penny on behalf of external shareholders.

That’s one reason we at Callahan & Associates launched The Member Story Project: to elevate the everyday ways credit unions help members save, borrow, and thrive. This storytelling space is a testament to the impact credit unions make and proof that cooperative finance isn’t abstract, but deeply human.  

3. Cultivate belief, not just awareness.

Movements grow when people see themselves inside them. Mamdani’s campaign didn’t just describe what he’d do, it painted what life could look like if he succeeded. That sense of shared possibility built belonging among voters, motivating record turnout in an off-year election.

Credit unions can build belonging, too. To do so, they must move beyond awareness campaigns and product pushes and instead focus on something much bigger — their belief in a movement that redefines what financial success means for ordinary people. You’re not just providing products and services; you’re helping members regain control of their financial future and creating peace of mind.

What might that look like for credit unions? At Affinity Federal Credit Union ($4.1B, Basking Ridge, NJ), it looks like measuring member financial success through a sense of peace rather than a budget, in terms of confidence and not just solvency. The credit union reminds us that belonging and belief are stronger retention tools than any single rate promotion. Read more about that on CreditUnions.com in “How A Financial Wellbeing Strategy Offers Less Stress And More Success.” 

4. Engage the next generation where they are.

Connection starts by showing up in your members’ worlds. Mamdani’s campaign drew in young voters through social-first storytelling on the issues that matter to them, grassroots community events, and a citywide scavenger hunt that drew thousands of participants. His team connected the candidate to voters and voters to one another. It invited them to imagine a fairer future. 

Credit unions must embrace similar creativity and innovation if they hope to reach younger members who might otherwise default to national banks or fintechs. When Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union ($4.5B, Saint Paul, MN) discovered through data analysis that its members are enthusiastic supporters of live music, the credit union didn’t respond with an ad campaign; it sponsored The Fillmore music venue in downtown Minneapolis, creating a real-world space where community, connection, and culture meet. 

“Banking is what we do. People is who we are.” says Dave Larson, CEO of Affinity Plus. To understand what it looks like to meet people where they are — literally and emotionally — the credit union offers a playbook worth studying.  

A Credit Union Call to Action

Mamdani’s campaign reminds us that clarity of message, grounded in real-life needs and delivered with conviction built from authenticity, still cuts through the noise. Every day, credit unions — institutions born from cooperation and committed to community — help members escape debt traps, buy their first homes, build emergency savings, and access fair credit when others turn them away. Credit unions don’t just tell stories of hope; they build the financial tools that make those stories possible.

If we want more Americans to understand the power of cooperative finance, our industry must find its voice. Like Mamdani’s campaign, we need to focus relentlessly on the consumers and small businesses who need help most, and we must speak clearly, consistently, and hopefully. And, we must deliver.