New York assemblyman and an Indian muslim, Zohran Mamdani, has declared victory and will be the Democratic candidate for the upcoming mayoral polls. He defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a surprising upset. He built a strong lead over Cuomo.
The final result will depend on the ranked-choice voting tally in November. According to various reports, Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist, appeared to be in a dominant position. After emerging as a frontrunner, In a speech to supporters, Mamdani said, “Tonight, we made history.” “I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City,” he said. Addressing his victory party, the 33-year-old vowed to work towards making the cut more affordable and “be a mayor for every New Yorker.” “The power belongs to the people,” he added.
Mamdani and Cuomo were in a close competition to become the Democratic nominee for the November mayoral election. When it was announced that the race would move to the ranked choice voting system, former New York Governor Cuomo admitted defeat and dropped out.
Who Is Mamdani?
33-year-old Zohran Mamdani is gaining prominence in New York due to his targeted community outreach, strong fundraising, progressive positioning, and improving poll numbers. Mamdani is the son of Indian origin parents with African roots. His mother, Mira Nair, is an Indian filmmaker. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is an Indian-born Ugandan academic with roots in Gujarati.
Zohran Kwame Mamdani was born and raised in Uganda’s Kampala. Later, he moved to New York City with his family at the age of seven. He is a graduate of the NYC Public School System and attended the Bronx High School of Science. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College. In 2018, he attained American citizenship. Zohran is proud to be the first South Asian man to serve in the New York State Assembly. He is also the first Ugandan and only the third Muslim to ever hold a seat in this legislative body. During his high school years, Zohran co-founded the school’s first-ever cricket team, which went on to participate in the inaugural cricket season organised by the Public School Athletic League.
Mamdani raised more than $840,000 over the last two months and has more than 16,000 donors- a surprisingly good showing for a candidate who was not well known to New Yorkers.
Mamdani On Narendra Modi
Mamdani was once asked a hypothetical question: if Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a rally at Madison Square Garden and wanted to appear alongside the New York City mayor at a joint press conference, would he agree to participate? Mamadani, who has a strong connection with India as both his parents, father Mahmood Mamdani and mother Mira Nair, were born in India, said he won’t join. Mamdani added that his father is a Gujarati Muslim, and then compared the Indian PM with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, Indian-origin New York politician Jenifer Rajkumar slammed Mira Nair’s son Zohran Mamdani for his remarks. The remarks have sparked outrage among other Indo-American leaders and community representatives, as they accused Mamdani of promoting hate and deepening religious divides.
He also added that according to the 2011 census, nearly 10% of Gujarat’s population were Muslims. That number has likely grown in the last 10 years. So, saying there are no Muslims left in Gujarat is a false and ridiculous claim. The Indian High Commission in New York should strongly respond to such a statement.
Unofficial results from New York City’s election board show that Zohran Mamdani was chosen on more ballots than Andrew Cuomo. Many voters also picked Mamdani as their second choice. Over 200,000 voters chose only one candidate, so their ballots won’t count in later rounds of ranked-choice voting. Because of this, Mamdani’s strong support in the first round might help him get more than 50% of the vote and win the election directly.
Mamdani To Face Eric Adams, Curtis Sliwa
The New York mayoral polls are set to be held in November 2025. With Zohran Mamdani as the democratic candidate, he will be up against incumbent mayor Eric Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. There is a possibility that Cuomo may still contest the election as an independent candidate, but he has not yet confirmed his decision. The general election to choose the next mayor of New York is scheduled to be held on November 4, 2025.
