Zohran Kwame Mamdani (born October 18, 1991) is an American politician and the mayor-elect of New York City. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, he has served since 2021 as a member of the New York State Assembly from the 36th district, representing the Queens neighborhood of Astoria.
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, to academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair. The family immigrated to South Africa when he was five years old and then to the United States when he was seven, settling in New York City. Mamdani graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and received a bachelor's degree with a major in Africana studies from Bowdoin College in Maine in 2014.
After working as a housing counselor and hip-hop musician, Mamdani entered local New York City politics as a campaign manager for Khader El-Yateem and Ross Barkan. He was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, defeating five-term incumbent Aravella Simotas in the Democratic primary. He was reelected without opposition in 2022 and 2024.
In October 2024, Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City in the 2025 election. He won the Democratic primary in an upset victory over Andrew Cuomo, before again winning in the general election against Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani campaigned on an affordability-focused platform in support of fare-free city buses, public child care, city-owned grocery stores, LGBTQ rights, a rent freeze on rent-stabilized units, additional affordable housing units, comprehensive public safety reform, and a $30 minimum wage by 2030. Mamdani also supports tax increases on corporations and those earning above $1 million annually. Mamdani is the first South Asian, first Muslim, second democratic socialist after David Dinkins, and first Millennial mayor-elect of New York City.
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New York is now going to be Soylent Green for real. Zohran Mamdani has openly said that he wants government food stores. Will you be able to buy Soylent Green there?
