Some of the operatives who helped state Rep. Zohran Mamdani secure the Democratic nomination for mayor in New York City are fanning out to assist like-minded Democrats in their own races.
That work can be seen in the race to represent California’s 22nd congressional district, where Randy Villegas, a school board trustee running as a progressive, is facing off in a primary against state Rep. Jasmeet Bains, a centrist Democrat.
In the video, produced by political strategist Morris Katz and his advertising firm Fight Agency, Villegas attacks both Bains and the seat’s incumbent, Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., striking the same sort of populist tone that helped propel Mamdani to success in the New York City primary.
“My opponents, Democrat and Republican alike, have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from the same corporations that are ripping us off, making our healthcare, housing, and groceries more expensive. Politicians in both parties are working for the same corporations that are putting their profits ahead of us,” Villegas says in the video.
So far, the video is only airing on digital platforms, but it’s racked up more than 150,000 views across Instagram and X.
Since aiding Mamdani in his primary campaign, Katz — a 28-year-old political strategist who also worked on Dan Osborn’s 2024 Nebraska Senate campaign — and the Fight Agency have also helped on the campaign of Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine.
The video, released last week, comes at a time when the issue of corporate money is becoming central in the primary for California’s 22nd District.
Mamdani’s campaign has earned praise for its visual style and its ability to cut viral videos. Even opponents of Mamdani, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., have praised his ability to connect with voters.
“I’ve watched quite a few of his videos, and he did something pretty unique and very smart, even though I don’t agree with anything he says,” Greene told Steve Bannon’s “War Room.”
Katz’s operation was also behind the video for Platner’s campaign launch. Platner announced his candidacy in August, immediately gaining traction in the Senate race in Maine. Platner’s launch video, posted in late August, has racked up nearly 5 million views on X alone and caught attention for its direct tone.
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The Platner campaign launch video, like many of the videos produced by the Fight Agency, focuses on the material concerns of working-class Americans as well as the corruption of the political establishment in both parties.
“I did four infantry tours in the Marine Corps and the Army. I’m not afraid to name an enemy, and the enemy is the oligarchy. It’s the billionaires who pay for it, and the politicians who sell us out. And yeah, that means politicians like Susan Collins,” Platner said.
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