USA (Commonwealth Union)_ Zohran Mamdani has made history by winning New York City’s mayoral election, becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage, and the first person born in Africa to hold the office. At 34, he will also be the youngest mayor in more than 100 years when he takes office on January 1. More than two million people voted in Tuesday’s election, the highest turnout the city has seen in a mayoral race in over three decades. Mamdani, a Democrat, defeated former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in a decisive victory.
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With over half the total votes, he led early in the Bronx and key areas across Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. Cuomo performed more strongly in Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn and Queens. Mamdani’s campaign gained momentum among young voters, driven by his promises on affordable housing, childcare, and progressive economic reforms. He first defeated Cuomo in the Democratic primary before the former governor chose to run as an independent, ultimately earning about 40% of the vote.
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Before running for mayor, Mamdani was a state assemblyman representing sections of Queens. He rose to prominence as a grassroots advocate for affordability and justice in city policy, and he maintained an active online presence. Mamdani’s ideas as mayor include making city buses free, expanding access to childcare for children under the age of five, and freezing rent in rent-stabilized units. His agenda also includes universal childcare, tuition-free college education, free public transportation, and more publicly subsidized housing. He supports raising the corporate tax and increasing the city’s minimum wage to $30 an hour by 2030.
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Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, to acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and scholar Mahmood Mamdani. He moved to New York at age seven, attended city public schools, and later earned a degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College. After becoming a US citizen in 2018, Mamdani worked as a housing counselor, helping families in Queens avoid foreclosure. His election marks another milestone in his career: he was the first South Asian man, the first Ugandan, and only the third Muslim ever to serve in the New York State Assembly.
