Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk (née Frantzve), is speaking out about women and marriage following Zohran Mamdani’s recent election as mayor of New York City.
During an onstage interview at The New York Times 2025 DealBook Summit on Wednesday, December 3, Erika, 37, was asked for her thoughts on Mamdani, 34.
Interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin observed that the NYC mayor-elect “was able to persuade younger voters,” much like her late husband did through his conservative nonprofit, Turning Point USA “though on the complete opposite end of the political spectrum from where someone like Charlie would have stood.”
“You know, it’s so interesting because I lived in Manhattan for a while, and I loved this city,” Erika began.
She added, “I’m going to approach this from a female voter’s perspective, because a high percentage of his voters were women. I think there’s a tendency especially in a city like Manhattan, where people are so career-driven to sometimes look to the government as a replacement for certain things in relationships. It changes how you see these issues.”
Erika went on to urge women not to prioritize government support over starting a family.
“What I don’t want to happen is for young women in the city to rely on the government as a solution, putting off marriage or having a family. Ideally, you and your husband can support each other, combining resources and building together,” she said.
Reflecting on the election, Erika noted, “I just find it so ironic and interesting that a large percentage of the individuals who voted for him were women,” referring to Mamdani, who defeated former New York governor Andrew Cuomo in the November 4 mayoral race.
Erika has continued her late husband’s work with Turning Point USA, the organization that encourages young people to become politically active, taking over as CEO following Charlie Kirk’s passing in September.
Erika, who shared two children with Charlie, recently opened up about her late husband’s death in an interview with Megyn Kelly.
“We wanted to have four children,” Erika told Kelly in November. “I was praying to God that I was pregnant when he was murdered. We were both really excited to expand our family.”
She added that having another child “would be the ultimate blessing out of this catastrophe,” referring to Charlie’s fatal shooting at a campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Who Was Charlie Kirk? Meet the Late Turning Point USA Founder
“Now when I see young couples, I tell them, ‘Please, don’t put it off.’ Especially if you’re a young woman, don’t delay. You can always have a career, you can always go back to work. But you can never go back to having children,” Erika added.
Erika and her children observed their first Thanksgiving without Charlie on November 27. In an Instagram tribute, she wrote, “We’ll save a plate for you, babe. I love you, @charliekirk1776. Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Charlie and I always loved Thanksgiving because it brought us back to the simple, yet sacred practice of gratitude,” Erika captioned a video showing herself walking through a room filled with gifts and condolence letters.
