CLEVELAND, Ohio — Tanmay Shah’s upset win in Cleveland’s Ward 12 isn’t happening in a vacuum. The democratic socialist is one of several left-leaning candidates across the country who won local elections this November.

Shah, a 29-year-old community organizer who campaigned on affordability, tenant protections and improved city services, defeated incumbent Councilman Danny Kelly by nine votes.

People have made obvious comparisons to Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist who won New York City’s mayor’s race. But wins have happened across the country.

Shah calls himself a democratic socialist and ran one of the most left-leaning campaigns among Cleveland races. He was also supported by A Better Cleveland for All and the Ohio Working Families Party; two groups aligned with th

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