Zohran Mamdani makes history as New York City’s first South Asian and muslim mayor

Zohran Mamdani has made history by becoming the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected Mayor of New York City, marking a seismic shift in the city’s political landscape. 

The 34-year-old Democratic Socialist defeated Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and independent contender, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, in one of the most closely watched mayoral contests in recent years.

Mamdani, who had already unseated Cuomo in the Democratic primary earlier this year, solidified his victory on Tuesday, cementing his rise from grassroots activism to the leadership of America’s largest city. “Zohran Mamdani is running to lower the cost of living for working-class New Yorkers,” his campaign had declared, a message that resonated deeply across communities hit by inflation, housing shortages, and job insecurity.

The son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University scholar Mahmood Mamdani, Zohran was born in Kampala, Uganda, and moved to New York at age seven. A naturalised U.S. citizen since 2018, Mamdani’s journey from a Queens housing counsellor to City Hall has been marked by relentless advocacy for economic justice.

A graduate of Bronx High School of Science and Bowdoin College, where he majored in Africana Studies, Mamdani co-founded his school’s first cricket team before turning his focus to social activism. As a foreclosure prevention counsellor in Queens, he helped low-income families fight eviction — an experience that shaped his political worldview.

Elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, representing Astoria and surrounding neighborhoods, Mamdani became the first South Asian man, first Ugandan, and only the third Muslim to serve in the Assembly’s history. His legislative record centered on affordable housing, workers’ rights, and public transport reform.

During his campaign for Mayor, Mamdani vowed to confront New York’s affordability crisis head-on. He pledged to freeze rents for all stabilized tenants, build more affordable housing, and make city buses fare-free. His transportation plan includes faster bus routes through dedicated lanes and priority traffic signals, ensuring more reliable public transit for millions.

He also proposed free childcare for every New Yorker between six weeks and five years of age, as well as city-owned grocery stores to counter soaring food prices. “The cost of living is crushing working people,” his campaign said. “Zohran believes government can lower costs and make life easier — from rent to childcare to public transit.”

Critics had questioned his limited experience managing large-scale governance, especially given New York’s annual budget exceeding USD 100 billion. But Mamdani countered that experience alone wasn’t the issue — empathy and commitment to equity were. “The greatest challenge our city faces is affordability,” he told The New York Times. “That’s what defines my candidacy and my mission.”

Throughout his political career, Mamdani has been at the forefront of activism. He joined taxi drivers in a hunger strike, helping secure USD 450 million in debt relief, fought for USD 100 million in subway improvements, and successfully organized against a proposed polluting power plant in Queens.

His victory is being hailed as a landmark moment not just for New York City but for minority representation in U.S. politics. With Mamdani at the helm, the city that symbolizes capitalism now turns a new page under a Democratic Socialist Mayor — one whose policies are rooted in inclusivity, compassion, and working-class empowerment.