Erika Kirk is offering her perspective on the role of women, family priorities and political influence following Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race.
Her remarks came during an appearance at The New York Times’ 2025 DealBook Summit on December 3, where interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin asked for her reaction to the newly elected mayor.
Sorkin pointed out that Mamdani managed to capture the support of younger voters, a demographic her late husband Charlie Kirk also resonated with, despite standing on the opposite end of the political spectrum.
Before addressing the political implications directly, Erika reflected on her personal connection to New York.
“You know it’s so interesting because I lived in Manhattan for a while and I loved this city,” she said, setting the tone for a broader point about the mindset of voters who live in major cities.
From there, Erika shifted to the demographic that caught her attention during the election. A focus on female voters shaped her interpretation of Mamdani’s support.
“I’m going to come at this from a female voter because a high percentage of his voters were female,” she continued.
“I think there’s a tendency, especially when you live in a city like Manhattan, where again you are so career driven, and you almost look to the government as a form of replacement for certain things relationship wise even, so you see things a little bit differently.”
She used the platform to caution against prioritizing government systems over personal relationships and family building.
“What I don’t want to happen is women, young women in the city, look to the government as a solution to put off having a family or a marriage because you are relying on the government to support you instead of being united with the husband, where you can support yourself and your husband can support and you can guys all combine together,” she said.
Another point of contrast for Erika was the voter breakdown that helped secure Mamdani’s win over former New York governor Andrew Cuomo on November 4.
“I just find it so ironic and so interesting that a heavy percentage of the individuals that voted for him are female,” she said while discussing the election outcome.
Erika has remained visible publicly since the death of Charlie Kirk in September. She now leads Turning Point USA as CEO, continuing the work her husband started with the organization aimed at encouraging political engagement among young Americans.
Her interview at DealBook follows recent comments about her personal life and the future she had planned with Charlie. In November, she spoke with Megyn Kelly about the couple’s hopes to expand their family.
“We wanted to have four,” she told Kelly while discussing the loss. “And I was praying to God that I was pregnant when he got murdered. Both of us were, we were really excited to just expand our family.”
In the same conversation, Erika reflected on what another child would have meant in the aftermath of the tragedy.
“That would be the ultimate blessing out of this catastrophe,” she said, referencing Charlie’s fatal shooting at a campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Her message to younger couples was similarly rooted in the importance of family planning.
“Now when I see young couples, I tell them, ‘Please, don’t put it off.’ Especially if you are a young woman, don’t put it off. You can always have a career, you can always go back to work. You can never just go back to having children,” Erika said.
The holiday season brought another emotional milestone for Erika and her two children. Thanksgiving marked their first without Charlie, and she publicly acknowledged the moment in a tribute shared on November 27.
“We’ll save a plate for you babe. I love you, @charliekirk1776 Happy Thanksgiving,” she wrote.
She added a reflection on what the holiday represented for their family.
“Charlie and I always loved Thanksgiving because it drew us back to the simple, but holy practice of gratitude,” she shared alongside a video showing boxes of gifts and condolence letters sent to her family.