NYC Mayor-elect Zorhan Mamdani
Zorhan Mamdani is a 34-year-old state assemblymember who beat ex New York Governor Andrew Cuomo twice, once in the Democratic primary and then again in the General Election to win the mayoralty of New York City last night. He won with very strong support and turnout from young New Yorkers and a broad and diverse coalition. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/05/zohran-mamdani-election-victory-party-showcases-new-coalition/87094744007/
He was fiercely opposed by some of the city’s old guard democrats, and by Trump, Musk, and their allies. https://time.com/7331119/zohran-mamdani-billionaires-ackman-bloomberg/ Much of their focus was on his Muslim religious beliefs, his South Asian ethnicity, his political ideology, his views on the Israeli conduct of the war in Gaza, and his lack of governing experience.
He is a democratic socialist along the lines of Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Bernie Sanders. That means he supports programs like single payer, Canadian style health insurance and higher taxes on the rich. It does not mean a revolution, but rather it seeks changes through the traditional democratic electoral process. The desired end point would be like Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark with a capitalist system and strong social safety net, higher taxes on the wealthy and others, better and more affordable educational opportunities, safe and walkable streets, and reductions in the extreme income inequality that is becoming pervasive and so destructive of social stability in the US.
Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian parents and then emigrated with his parents to the US at age 7. His mother (Mira Nair) is a renowned film maker (Monsoon Wedding and Mississippi Masala), and his father (Mahmood Mamdani) is a famous academic studying African colonialism, a well-known and highly respected anthropology professor at Columbia University. Mamdani is a naturalized US citizen, and a graduate of Bowdoin College.
His platform for NYC is focused on improving affordability and every day quality of life for New Yorkers. It includes a rent freeze on rent controlled apartments, greater freedom to develop new affordable housing, universal childcare, safe, walkable streets, and fast, fare-free buses. https://www.zohranfornyc.com/platform He has just appointed a transition team which includes skilled policy and political veterans from past NYC administrations. https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/zohran-mamdanis-female-transition-team-features-familiar-names-rcna242140
He could be the new wave of NYC Democrats laying out the future for their party in attracting and mobilizing young working voters and counteracting the Trumpian assaults (militarily, financially, and otherwise) on the city itself and on urban residents generally. https://time.com/7330982/zohran-mamdani-affordable-moral-city/ Or he could face plant, His political skills will be sorely tested in short order. There is a lot of bitterness that has built up in the different sides competing for the mayoralty; he needs to address it head on. He will face formidable, powerful, well organized, and wealthy adversaries in his quest to improve affordability and quality of life for ordinary New Yorkers. He will have to take on deep corruption and inefficiency in the city and its delivery of many services. The opportunity is now to build a strong, effective workable governing coalition with those who supported Cuomo, but do see the need to build a more livable city for all New Yorkers. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/zohran-mamdani-is-a-mayor-for-a-new-age-in-nyc.html?ueid=91dcc9805c0dfef5f1fcd9ba15c4a21f&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=OGS%20-%20Nov%205%2C%202025&utm_term=Subscription%20List%20-%20One%20Great%20Story Donald Trump, not Andrew Cuomo, is the avowed enemy of a new, energized, dynamic, and progressive New York City.