Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race earlier this month, running on promises to confront economic inequality, cost-of-living issues, alongside vowing freer and faster bus services, and more.
The new mayor, 34, is the first Muslim New York City mayor, and the youngest person in over a century to lead the largest city in the US, sealing a remarkable victory.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani lived in Kampala, then Cape Town, South Africa, before moving to New York with his family aged seven. But he is ethnically South Asian, and has referenced his identity as an effective way to build support and connections across such a diverse city.
Mamdani has regularly posted campaign videos of himself speaking Urdu/Hindi, Arabic and Spanish, helping connect with immigrant and minority youth, and has also regularly spoken up about the conflict in Gaza, having co-founded the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine during his time in college.
His victory speech ended with Dhoom Machale – a popular Bollywood film song, again, subtly connecting with his South Asian voters.
He has become increasingly popular among younger voters especially. This is firstly through his authenticity, and focusing on issues that are very tangible for younger New Yorkers: for example, renters who are struggling with the high cost of living. The youth were especially drawn to his progressive, transformative message.
However, it was also through creating an arguably ‘algorithm-aware’ campaign, which crucially understood how young people consume media. His social media content did, and does, involve authentic storytelling, encouraging engagement from the electorate, through, for example, announcing a scavenger hunt across New York City. This brought together thousands of people, and also (not unintentionally) drew press attention.
The number of TikTok trends he has inspired has also not gone unnoticed. From the name is Mamdani” to “hot girls vote for Mamdani” to “welcome to the Islamic Republic of New York”, he has not only delivered on a humorous campaign, but also a largely successful one.
But his campaign hasn’t been all positive. Early in November, Trump said that the difference between the two parties “could not be more clear”, going on to say that it’s a choice between “communism and common sense”.
His critics have called him everything from a “jihadist candidate” to a “terrorist sympathiser”, and hate often comes from racially-motivated or Islamophobic areas.
Mamdani’s rise has been meteoric: a year ago, he had almost zero name recognition as a New York state assemblyman.
Nonetheless, through launching his campaign in October 2024, he eventually grew a huge following, not only in New York City but all over the world. That wave of enthusiasm would eventually give him a victory in the Democratic party over Andrew Cuomo, the former three-time governor of New York State, endorsed by Donald Trump.
Trump and Mamdani’s recent meeting at the Oval Office forged an unlikely friendship, as they met to discuss the affordability crisis in the country. Despite previously referring to each other somewhat negatively, the two men heaped praise on one another, acknowledging their differences and having a courteous discussion.
Mamdani later mentioned that he “appreciated the discussion”, whilst Trump stated that the mayor-elect was a “very rational person”.
Mamdani has campaigned as a sharp critic of the corporate and business elite, also condemning Israel’s conduct in the Israel-Palestine conflict, and pledged to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a war criminal if he sets foot in New York City, a promise that could well be tested during his term.
With other big figures like Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, describing Mamdani’s win as a “victory for hope”, he has the support of many all around the world.
Mamdani’s role as mayor comes with promises and hard work, yet with equal support. He has insisted that “what binds all of us together is who we are fighting to serve, and that is working people”, and hopefully his term in office allows him to deliver.
Congrats, Mina, can’t wait to read your new articles!