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NYC's battle of 'Hot Girls': When an Influencer's campaign exposed Andrew Cuomo's sexual harassment report

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The Times Of Indiapublisher-detail-arrow
06th November, 2025 00:46 IST
As Zohran Mamdani ’s historic victory as New York City’s first Muslim mayor came to fruition, making him the 111th mayor after defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, an unexpected subplot played out in the final stretch of the campaign: The emergence of “Hot Girls for Zohran,” a movement driven by young women seeking change, was met by a rival “Hot Girls for Cuomo” campaign, launched by conservative influencer Emily Austin . What followed was an ironic spectacle, a classic case of a copycat campaign gone wrong

The birth of "Hot Girls for Zohran"
Zohran Mamdani’s rise in the mayoral race wasn’t just a victory of ideas, but of a movement. Unlike other campaigns that rely heavily on top-down strategy, Mamdani’s appeal lay in his ability to tap into an undercurrent of frustration felt by many young New Yorkers. Rising housing costs, stagnant wages, and a widening income gap had created a generation of voters who felt shut out of the city they called home.



The phrase "Hot Girls for Zohran" didn’t emerge in a vacuum. It was inspired by the viral momentum of #HotGirlsForBernie, which gained traction during Bernie Sanders 's 2020 presidential campaign. That movement was born out of a desire to counter the “Bernie Bro” stereotype, an image of Sanders supporters as predominantly male, gruff, and internet-obsessed. Spearheaded by model Emily Ratajkowski , the hashtag aimed to show that young women could be just as invested in Sanders's vision for progressive change.


Mamdani’s campaign revived the "Hot Girls for" slogan, but with a twist. It wasn’t about appearance or exclusivity. Instead, it offered a cheeky, non-gendered way for voters to identify with Mamdani’s progressive vision.


Typical of New York’s chaotic, impromptu energy, the movement even sparked a Zohran Mamdani lookalike competition, showcasing the candidate’s unexpected stardom and celebrity reach. The movement gained traction fast, spilling out of the ivy-covered walls of Columbia and Barnard and into the streets of New York City as students, celebrities, and everyday New Yorkers helped turn Mamdani’s campaign into a cultural phenomenon, vibrant, unpredictable, and impossible to ignore.


What started as a handful of passionate students quickly snowballed, with volunteers canvassing door-to-door, hosting meet-ups, and flooding social media with posts. It wasn’t just a campaign; it became a grassroots groundswell. Merchandise and printed tees bearing the "Hot Girls for Zohran" slogan went viral on Instagram, adding a layer of digital fervour to the city's streets.


Celebrity endorsements and local activists joined the cause, and soon it wasn’t just about one candidate, it was about a community on fire, united by the belief that Mamdani was the messiah who would deliver them from a city drowning in overpriced rent, artisanal lattes, and $15 avocado toasts.

Emily Austin’s “Hot Girls for Cuomo” Campaign

The rise of “Hot Girls for Zohran” did not go unnoticed, especially by the Cuomo camp. With former governor Andrew Cuomo trailing behind Mamdani in the polls, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa seen as too far removed from the race to be a real contender, there was a sense of urgency in the air. It was at this point that Emily Austin, a 24-year-old conservative influencer, stepped into the fray.
Austin, a media-savvy Long Island native known for her right-wing views, launched the “Hot Girls for Cuomo” campaign in late October. Unlike Mamdani’s grassroots movement, Austin’s attempt at creating a political coalition felt more like a branded marketing campaign, aimed at taking advantage of the growing "Hot Girls" trend.


Her pitch was straightforward, if not a little contrived: “If you’re a hot girl for Andrew Cuomo, I want to hear from you,” she announced in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter). Austin’s use of the term “hot” was designed to grab attention and create a sense of exclusivity. But for her, being “hot” wasn’t just about physical appearance; it was about intelligence and aligning with what she viewed as common sense.

She tried to frame Cuomo as the antidote to Mamdani’s “socialism,” repeatedly voicing her belief that Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa should drop out to give Cuomo a better chance of defeating Mamdani. In her view, voting for Sliwa was, effectively, voting for Mamdani, a sentiment she voiced on X, insisting that Cuomo was the only viable option to stop the socialist candidate.

But therein lay the flaw in Austin’s approach. Where Mamdani’s campaign had successfully mobilised people based on shared political goals and values, Austin’s initiative came across as a surface-level stunt. The idea that political allegiance could be reduced to physical attractivenes, however tongue-in-cheek—undermined the sincerity of the movement. Austin’s branding took the slogan literally: “Hot Girls” were to be identified by their looks, and, by extension, their support for Cuomo was tied to their perceived “common sense.” The implication was that anyone who supported Mamdani was, quite simply, a “zero.”

The 0,10 and 20 rationale: A misstep in messaging
Austin’s campaign was grounded in the idea that supporting Cuomo would somehow elevate women, casting them as more desirable and intellectually sound in comparison to those backing Mamdani. “I don’t care if you’re the hottest girl physically, if you’re voting for Mamdani, you’re a zero because clearly you lack IQ,” she told The New York Post.

One could argue that Mamdani’s campaign also attracted its share of attractive figures, but for Austin, the focus was different. Her approach revolved around leveraging beauty as political capital, casting voting for Cuomo as a way to increase one’s perceived worth. In Austin’s equation, a “10” who voted for Mamdani became a “0,” while a “10” backing Cuomo became a “20.” It was a logic rooted in appearance, not policy, attempting to turn attractiveness into an endorsement of political ideology.

It’s likely that Austin, much like some of the influencers who backed Mamdani, was hoping for a bandwagon effect, a trend of beauty queens and “tens” following along to sway the voter base. The idea was that by seducing the electorate with the right looks, she could push Cuomo into a stronger position. However, this strategy backfired, reducing the political conversation to superficiality and undermining any substantive engagement with the issues at hand.

In the end, Austin’s focus on beauty, rather than substance, only alienated potential supporters, turning her campaign into an object lesson in how not to mobilise voters.

The domain fiasco and the campaign’s collapse
But the campaign's missteps didn’t end with Austin’s messaging. In a move that perfectly encapsulated the disorganised nature of her campaign, Austin forgot to secure the domain name for “Hot Girls for Cuomo.” In an era where digital presence is just as crucial as the message itself, this was a critical oversight. As she admitted to The New York Post, “I didn’t know ‘Hot Girls for Cuomo’ needed a site… and if I had ever foresaw that, of course I would’ve bought the domain.”

Before she could even begin to build a website or establish a legitimate digital platform, an anti-Cuomo activist swiftly snatched up the domain name HotGirlsForCuomo.com. Instead of leading to Austin’s campaign, the website redirected visitors to a page detailing the New York Attorney General Letitia James's investigation into Andrew Cuomo’s sexual harassment allegations.



The 2021 report, which Cuomo has denied, revealed a pattern of inappropriate behaviour, including unwanted touching, sexually suggestive comments, and other advances made by Cuomo towards multiple women during his time in office. The report also stated that Cuomo’s actions were not limited to staff members but extended to state employees and members of the public, including a State Trooper assigned to his detail.

This catastrophic blunder added to the growing irony surrounding Austin’s campaign. She had been outmanoeuvred by a domain name purchase, and what was intended to be a catchy political stunt was now inexorably tethered to one of the darkest chapters of Cuomo's legacy, thrusting his sexual harassment scandal, which resulted in his resignation as governor, back into the spotlight.

A final reckoning: Campaigns and Influence in the digital age
Emily Austin’s “Hot Girls for Cuomo” campaign, which was meant to rival “Hot Girls for Zohran,” quickly unravelled under the weight of its own contradictions. While Mamdani’s movement grew organically, with a focus on tangible political change, Austin’s influencer-led campaign collapsed under its own superficiality.

For all her media-savvy, Austin underestimated the depth of political engagement in New York City, particularly among young women who felt a deep connection to Mamdani’s promises. The focus on looks and intelligence made her campaign seem dismissive of voters' genuine concerns. Mamdani, on the other hand, mobilised his supporters with a clear message of change and inclusivity, not with slogans built around physical appearance.

While “Hot Girls for Zohran” was about rallying diverse supporters behind Mamdani’s vision for a fairer city, “Hot Girls for Cuomo” fell flat, exposed by a lack of authenticity and an ill-conceived strategy. In the end, Mamdani’s victory was a testament to the power of genuine political movements, while Austin’s campaign served as a cautionary tale of how a shallow, copy-paste campaign can fail when it misses the real issues that matter most.

Austin, undeterred by her campaign's failure, has already hinted at her next project: “Hot Girls for Vance,” aiming to back JD Vance in a potential 2028 presidential run. She commented, “I’m starting a ‘Hot Girls for Vance.’ I’m now gonna ride this wave.”

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