A growing segment of progressive singles is increasingly insisting on deeply aligned political values when choosing romantic partners, a shift in modern dating culture that has been building for a while. Following the publicity around Zohran Mamdani’s successful Hinge pairing – a New York City mayoral candidate who met his future wife via the app – political signalling in dating profiles has become increasingly prominent.
Users on mainstream platforms like Hinge are now going beyond selecting preset political labels, instead adding emojis or slogans to their profiles that are meant to be both proud support of their political stance and a filter for their potential matches. According to recent polling, around 60 percent of young adults aged 18–24 consider political compatibility an important factor in long‑term relationships.
Alternative venues have emerged as well. In New York, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has launched “sexy socialist singles” mixers – offering spaces where explicitly left‑leaning singles can connect, organise social events, and share values in person. Meanwhile, some conservative daters, feeling underrepresented on major dating apps, are gravitating toward niche services like “Date Right Stuff,” hosting politically aligned gatherings of their own.
Relationship researchers, including former Bumble sociologist Dr Jess Carbino, suggest this politicization stems from how politics now shapes perception of values and identity – leading many to treat political affiliation as a litmus test in romance. While this may result in more “failed” matches on the surface, this change in dating approach also opens up opportunities for more dating spaces that specifically draw in certain politically-aligned users.
