New Delhi: Democrat Zohran Mamdani has won the New York City mayoral election, defeating independent candidate Andrew Cuomo in a historic contest that drew national attention. Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, will become the city’s first Muslim mayor when he takes office on 1 January 2026.
The victory marks Mamdani’s second political triumph over Cuomo, having previously defeated the former governor in the Democratic primary in June. Despite pressure from Cuomo’s camp, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa remained in the race until election day.
The election saw record turnout, with over two million New Yorkers casting ballots, the highest in more than five decades, according to the city’s Board of Elections.
Mamdani’s campaign focused on affordability and equity, pledging rent freezes on stabilised units, 200,000 new public housing units, universal childcare, tuition-free education, fare-free buses, and city-run grocery stores.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, on 18 October 1991, Mamdani is the son of scholar Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair. He grew up in Uganda, South Africa, and New York City, attending Bronx High School of Science and later Bowdoin College, where he studied Africana Studies and co-founded a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.
Before entering politics, Mamdani worked as a foreclosure prevention counsellor and joined the Democratic Socialists of America in 2017. He was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, representing Queens’ 36th District, and was re-elected unopposed in 2022 and 2024.
Also known as hip-hop artist “Young Cardamom,” Mamdani co-wrote the track #1 Spice for Disney’s ‘Queen of Katwe’ and released ‘Nani’ in 2019, a tribute to his grandmother featuring Madhur Jaffrey. He became a US citizen in 2018 and married Syrian-American artist Rama Duwaji earlier this year.
In his first post after the win, Mamdani shared a video on X showing a subway train arriving at City Hall, with the message “Zohran For New York City” appearing on the wall.
The race attracted commentary from US President Donald Trump, who criticised Mamdani as a “Communist candidate” and warned of reduced federal funding if he were elected.
(Inputs from IANS)