In less than a year, Zohran Mamdani has risen from an unknown state assemblyman to become the next mayor of New York City, defeating political heavyweights, including former governor Andrew Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams.
Despite strong opposition from political rivals and a lack of endorsements from leaders within his own Democratic Party due to his views, Mr Mamdani is projected to accumulate over 50 percent of the vote and win the mayoral race ahead of President Donald Trump-backed Cuomo.
Mr Mamdani’s journey to become New York mayor began in Kampala, Uganda, where he was born on October 18, 1991. He and his family lived in Uganda until he was five, when they moved to Cape Town, South Africa, before finally immigrating to the United States two years later.
Upon the family’s arrival in the U.S., Mr Mamdani attended Bronx High School of Science in New York, where he played football. He gained admission to Bowdoin College in Maine and later graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in African studies.
After graduation, Mr Mamdani immediately ventured into politics, serving as a volunteer in several campaigns. He launched his own political career in 2019, and less than a year later, he defeated five-time incumbent Aravella Simotas to win New York’s 36th State Assembly district.
He went on to successfully win his re-elections in 2022 and 2024. Mr Mamdani is a Shia Muslim, and he is married to animator and illustrator Rana Duwaji.
Mr Mamdani, a self-identified Democratic Socialist, launched his mayoral campaign in October 2024 and quickly became a popular choice among young voters due to his viral social media campaign videos, which many found appealing, and his support for Palestine against Israel.
In June 2025, the Democratic candidate won the New York mayoral primary election. He immediately built on the momentum to emerge as the winner of the November 4 mayoral race despite little support for him within his party due to his socialist ideology and views deemed too ‘anti-Israel’.
One of the major highlights of Mr Mamdani’s campaign occurred during the Democratic Party primary debate in June, when he was the only candidate out of nine who said he wouldn’t visit Israel after being asked about his first foreign visit should he win the mayoral race.
During his campaign, he also pledged that if elected mayor, he would honour the arrest warrant issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court for war crimes committed by the State of Israel in its war in Gaza, should the politician step into New York.
Such anti-Israeli positions are traditionally considered unpopular across the American political landscape, where candidates often seek Jewish influence and donations to win elections.
However, Mr Mamdani still managed to secure a victory in the city with the most Jewish population outside of Israel, with experts saying the outcome could signal a major shift in American politics amid rising anti-Israeli rhetoric among voters.
During his victory rally on Tuesday, the mayor-elect publicly called out Mr Trump, telling the American leader to “turn the volume up!” while saying that New York will remain a city of immigrants.
“New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants — and as of tonight, led by an immigrant,” the assemblyman said.
Mr Mamdani will become the first Muslim, African-born, Indian-American mayor of New York by the time he is sworn into office on January 1, 2026.
