Zohran Mamdani for New York Mayor
Come November 4, 2025, New York City, America’s most-populated, largest, richest city and the world’s economic capital, will witness the first ever an Indian-origin Muslim immigrants’ son, Zohran Mamdani, contesting the country’s most prestigious election - for the City Mayor.
Zohran K. Mamdani, the 33-year-old, Democratic socialist, on June 24 wrested Democratic Party’s nomination winning primaries hands down. Mamdani trounced his nine contestants including New York’s sitting Mayor, Eric Adams, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, and the Republican Party’s Curtis Silwa, founder of Guardian Angels and a radio host.
While Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo and Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller, would fight the election as the independent candidates. The main contest will most likely be between Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani and the Republican Party’s Curtis Silwa.
Zohran Mamdani, son of immigrants and a brand new four-term New York state legislator, is strikingly handsome, stunningly confident, bubbling with enthusiasm. He is said to be extremely popular with younger voters of all political hues, and particularly those with college degrees. While Cuomo commands an edge among older, Black, Hispanic voters, and women, markedly those without a four-year college degree. As Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo carry stains of indictments and corruption, they are likely to stand down as the election date nears. If elected, Zoran will be New York City’s first youngest immigrant and first Muslim mayor in history since1898.
The Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s both parents are of Indian-origin: His mother Mira Nair, a Punjabi Hindu, a celebrated woman film maker. Some of the best-known films made by Mira include Salam Bombay, The Bengali Detective, Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake, and The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Zohran’s father, Gujarati Muslim, Mahmood Mamdani, was a professor of ‘African Studies’ in the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Zohran was born on October 18,1991. When Zohran was only five-years-old, the family moved to New York City. Zohran’s father joined an ivy league school, Columbia University. Zohran grew up in the New York culture which shaped him into a ‘stunningly charming and exuberant young man who raps about his beloved Indian grandmother... betrays Obama-like magnetism that attracts young people… he is a naturally gifted connector of people…’, as The New York Times put it.
Since New York is America’s one of the Jew-majority states, a recent news report rumoured that the ‘triumph of a Muslim candidate (as NY’s mayor) who refuses to disavow the phrase globalize the intifada, has prompted doubts about their place in the city that has been a quasi-homeland. This is the end of New York as we know it…Many Jews will leave. But, no, said one Rabbi: ‘untested Mamdani would even put himself forward for one of America’s most daunting governing challenges.’ Moreover, Mamdani promised that he will wish to be known as the New Yorkers’ mayor; he’ll endeavour increased funding to address their problems,’ adding that ‘my politics is rooted in a commitment to universal human rights…my responsibility as a leader of this city is to reach further understanding those disagreements, and to wrestle with the complexities of them, and to represent each and every person that calls the city their home.’
Mamdani’s harvesting record $8 million election fund-raising within five months of launching his campaign, is a sign of his popularity with his electorate. The city’s fund-raising limit is also $ 8 million. Mamdani has been making regular trips to majority areas inhabited by Blacks which are generally his ‘rivals’ areas. The fact is that ‘allies and rivals alike credited Mamdani with making inroads among Black voters.’
Even as a young school student, Zohran ran for his school body’s vice president. And during his college education in New York, he co-founded a college chapter of Student for Justice in Palestine. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies, and soon became active in the city politics, working as campaign manager of local politicians. Although he was not even 30 years old, in 2020, Mamdani was first elected to the New York State Assembly, reelected without opposition in 2022 and 2024. He married a charming 27-year-old Syrian artist, Rama Duwaji, early this year.
Ever since Zohran won the Democratic Socialist nomination to contest for New York mayor in November 2025, he has run ‘a brilliant campaign powered by an army of inspired foot - soldiers’, opined The Wall Street Journal. The principal thrust of his agenda ‘singularity’ for New Yorkers is: affordability - in addition to free buses, freezing rents for two million, offering them free childcare up to age five. He has also proposed city-run grocery stores to serve deprived areas for New Yorkers.’
He told media persons: “I will pay for this by taxing the 1% - the billionaires and the profitable companies…’’ But Mamdani is being cautioned that as New York City’s mayor, he must still rely on the state power barons in Albany - New York state capital- to adjust taxes.’ For, without their support, Mamdani will be unable to fund his initiatives for New Yorkers. Because, as the warning goes, ‘there is also the looming threat of the Trump administration who can pull federal funding from the city, among other ‘punishments.’ In practical terms the warning meant – ‘running the government of New York City is much harder than running for mayor.’ Meanwhile, Mamdani’s promise that he ‘wants to nearly double the minimum wage to $30 per hour by 2030.’ Currently, the per hour wage for most of the employees is $16.50. However, the state governor Kathy Hochul doesn’t seem to agree to this raise, and has asserted that ‘a big increase seems unlikely since a recent push in the State Legislature to raise the minimum wage state-wide to $21.25 has gotten little traction.’ Similarly, there would be problems in implement his other promises like free buses, freezing rents, etc.
Though Mamdani became a naturalized American citizen only in 2018, he has always been proud of being a committed Socialist Democrat. It is often recalled by his friends that like an honest, hardworking, disciplined Indian-American, Zohran used to ‘cycle throughout progressively campaigning and his activism jobs, including as a house counselor for poor, mostly south Asian New Yorkers facing eviction.’
However, as The Wall Street Journal editorial recalls that Mamdani’s rise ‘marks a sharp Left turn for New York City…more important is that it signals the rise of leftwing economic populism as a leading alternative to the Trumpian byword MAGA (Make America Great Again) Republicans.’
Meanwhile, it should be remembered that the U.S. is the world’s topmost capitalist (Rightist) economy and considers the rise of the Left as the path to socialism; the U.S. abhors socialism. Therefore, Mamdani’s solution, more socialism, would mean higher taxes on the rich. And the MAGA Republicans dislike more taxes.
Finally, as Mamdani’s critics have also ‘questioned his long-held positions, like his support for Israel, asylum rules and government regulations around housing, energy and social issues, such as abortion rights, criminal justice, climate change and transgender rights, etc., that have of late elicited heated differences within the party’s primary contests. Be that as it may, time will tell which among the contestants becomes the voters’ pet choice for New Yorks next mayor for 2026 to 2029.
- R. Dua, former professor-head, journalism department, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, and an ex-faculty Journalism, California State University, US.
