It's been years since Democratic voter Lea Ash felt hopeful about a politician, but that changed recently.

"He's been really the only bright spot for me this year," she said. "[He] wants to listen to the people he's seeking to govern."

The 26-year-old is referring to Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York, who has centered his campaign on affordability concerns. For that reason, he easily has Ash's vote — if only she lived in the city he was running in. Instead, she lives more than 1,200 miles away.

"I would like to believe one day there could be a Zohran Mamdani for Gulfport, Miss., but I don't think that's ever going to happen, at least not in my lifetime," Ash said, acknowledging her state's deep conservative roots. "But it gives me hope that it can happen in

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