The beloved feline companions in New York City’s neighborhood delis and convenience stores have long been a source of affection, inspiring various social media accounts like Instagram and TikTok, as well as children’s literature and magazine covers. Currently, the bodega cat is taking center stage in Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign, thanks to a sticker contest designed to promote voter registration.
Numerous artists entered Mamdani’s 36-hour “I Registered to Vote for Zohran” sticker contest, creating designs that emphasized iconic New York City elements like buses, street signs, subways, and pigeons, which were subsequently voted on by thousands online.
On Monday, September 29, the announcement of the winner was made on Instagram: a radiant watercolor illustration in red, blue, and gold representing a bodega storefront, crafted by arts educator and freelance illustrator Nishan Patel. A plush pink cat can be seen lounging by the window, basking in the glow of the small business’s interior, serving as a heartfelt tribute to the neighborhood delis and their dedicated workers who contribute to NYC’s unique character.
“It was an incredibly close competition with many fantastic submissions,” Mamdani commented, highlighting that the sticker will be available at campaign events through October.
The custom sticker highlighting bodega cats drew praise online, including from the popular Instagram account Cats for Zohran, which had been promoting both Patel’s design and another cat-themed sticker. “BIG PURR ENERGY 🐱,” they commented.
On the same day, Mamdani showcased the design in a promotional voter registration video that humorously parodied the iconic “October 3” scene from Mean Girls (2004).
With Election Day just a month away, this week has been crucial for the mayoral race in NYC. New York Mayor Eric Adams announced his withdrawal from the third-party re-election contest, narrowing the race down to three candidates: young Democratic primary winner Mamdani, disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Poll results from a New York Times/Siena survey released today reveal that Mamdani is currently holding a significant lead following Adams’s exit.
Mamdani’s campaign, heavily focused on grassroots canvassing and extensive social media engagement, has effectively rallied younger voters across the city, even inspiring those who are not yet eligible to vote. One example is Isla Dalisay-Hockett, the 14-year-old artist who created a popular pigeon design for the sticker contest.
Dalisay-Hockett shared with Hyperallergic that her idea for the drawing struck her while riding the subway.
“I really love the winning sticker,” she said, noting how it “aligns” with the campaign’s emphasis on small businesses. Mamdani has promised to support these by reducing business fines, simplifying online forms, and increasing funding for local shops.
“His campaign is one of those where people are genuinely excited,” Dalisay-Hockett remarked.
“He’s young, he’s fresh to the political scene, and his wife is a talented artist,” she added, referring to the Brooklyn-based illustrator and animator Rama Duwaji. “There’s just so much to be enthusiastic about regarding his campaign, and I think it’s really impressive.”
Maya Pontone (she/her) is a Staff News Writer at Hyperallergic. Originally hailing from northern New Jersey, she currently resides in Brooklyn, where she reports on daily news impacting the arts and culture scene.
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