Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist, has been elected mayor of New York City, making history as the first Muslim to hold the position.
Mamdani, who served three terms as a New York State Assemblyman, entered the mayoral race as a longshot candidate but ultimately defeated former Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo, who had been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Set to be sworn in on 1 January 2026, Mamdani will inherit leadership of a complex city with a population of 8.5 million, a municipal workforce of nearly 300,000, and a budget of $115 billion. His victory makes him one of the youngest mayors in the city’s modern history and the first person of South Asian descent to hold the office.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1991, Mamdani is the only son of esteemed post-colonial scholar Mahmood Mamdani and Oscar-nominated film director Mira Nair. He became a U.S. citizen in 2018. Before entering politics, he worked as a housing counsellor and had a brief career as a rapper under the stage name Mr. Cardamom, an experience his opponents used in attack ads to mock his lack of government experience.
Mamdani’s campaign gained momentum through a series of viral social media videos in multiple languages, including Arabic, Bengali, and Spanish. He focused his message on affordability, with one popular video tackling what he called “halal-flation,” exploring the rising costs for street food vendors in the city. By the time of the Democratic primary in June, he had closed the gap with Cuomo in the polls, ultimately securing a victory that shocked many political observers.
After winning the primary, Mamdani faced scrutiny over past criticisms of the police, including describing law enforcement as “racist” and calling for its defunding. He later told reporters, “I am not seeking to defund the police.” He also worked to connect with New York’s Jewish community, which had been unnerved by his criticism of the Israeli government’s war in Gaza and his support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
A night of Democratic victories
Mamdani’s win was the capstone of a successful “Election Tuesday” for the Democratic Party, which saw victories in several key races just a year ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The results were seen as an early electoral test in President Trump’s second term.
In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won the governorship, defeating Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who was backed by Trump. Sherrill, a 53-year-old U.S. Navy veteran, will become the state’s second female governor.
In Virginia, Democrats returned to the governorship after a four-year absence, with Abigail Spanberger defeating Republican Winsome Earle-Sears to become the state’s first female governor. In the same state, Ghazala Hashmi, a Democratic Socialist, became the first Muslim and Indian-American to be elected lieutenant governor.
In Manhattan, Democratic District Attorney Alvin Bragg won re-election, defeating Republican Maud Maron. Bragg gained national prominence for overseeing the “hush money” case in which President Trump was convicted.
Following the string of Republican losses, President Trump said on Wednesday that an ongoing government shutdown was to blame. “It seemed like they were holding the Republicans more responsible for the shutdown,” Trump said, calling for an immediate end to the standoff and suggesting he would work to change the voting system, which he claimed had “many flaws.”
