An Indian-origin assemblyman, Mamdani is set to take office on 1 January and will also be New York City's youngest mayor in over a century.
Published Nov 05, 2025 | 9:34 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 05, 2025 | 12:13 PM
Zohran Mamdani.
Synopsis: Indian-origin assemblyman Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City. Born in Uganda, he is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani. He became a US citizen in 2018.
Democrat Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City on Tuesday, 4 November (local time), defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. He succeeds Mayor Eric Adams, who ended his reelection campaign in September but remained on the ballot.
An Indian-origin assemblyman, Mamdani is set to take office on 1 January and will also be New York City’s youngest mayor in over a century. Mamdani’s promises included rent control, free daycare, free bus services, and city-run grocery stores.
According to the New York Times, Mamdani secured 1,016,968 votes (50.3%), while his closest rival, Cuomo, secured 840,191 votes (41.6%). Sliwa came third with only 144,397 votes (7.1%). A total of 2,022,596 votes were reported while seven candidates were in the fray.
Born in Uganda, he is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani. He became a US citizen in 2018.
Mamdani’s digitally driven campaign, centred on cost-of-living concerns, drew New Yorkers’ attention and sharp criticism from opponents, including President Donald Trump.
In his first X post after the victory, Mamdani posted a video of the City Hall subway station with the caption “Zohran for New York City”.
He quoted India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, during his victory speech, “I think of the words of Jawaharlal Nehru. A moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new; when an age ends, and the soul of a nation long suppressed finds utterance. Tonight, we step out from the old to the new.”
Mamdani was born on 18 October 1991 in Kampala, Uganda. In his early years, he was taken from Uganda to South Africa and then to New York City, where he attended the Bank Street School for Children and Bronx High School of Science. In 2014, he graduated from Bowdoin College with a degree in Africana Studies, where he co-founded a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.
His mayoral campaign was largely focused on public welfare and police reforms. Mamadani called for shifting police resources toward community services and expanding public transit and bike infrastructure.
Mamdani has been facing scrutiny from national Republicans, including President Donald Trump, who have been claiming him to be “communist” and “Islamist” and a threat to the “American culture”.
