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Zohran Mamdani

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Zohran Mamdani
Mamdani in 2025
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 36th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2021
Preceded byAravella Simotas
Personal details
Born
Zohran Kwame Mamdani

(1991-10-18) October 18, 1991 (age 33)
Kampala, Uganda
Citizenship
  • Uganda
  • United States[1]
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
​
(m. 2025)​
Parents
EducationBowdoin College (BA)
Signature
Website
Mamdani's voice
Introducing himself and his mayoral platform
Recorded April 9, 2025

Zohran Kwame Mamdani[c] (born October 18, 1991) is an American politician who has served as a member of the New York State Assembly from the 36th district, based in Queens, since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, he is the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City in the 2025 election.

Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda into an Indian family, 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 earned a bachelor's degree in Africana studies from Bowdoin College. After working as a housing counselor and hip-hop musician, he entered local politics as a campaign manager for Khader El-Yateem and Ross Barkan. Mamdani was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, defeating four-term incumbent Aravella Simotas in a 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. His campaign platform includes support for fare-free city buses, public child care, city-owned grocery stores, 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. He has been sharply critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians, pledging to abide by the International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Israeli leaders by arresting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York City. During the Democratic primaries, Mamdani was endorsed by prominent progressive politicians, including Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. On June 24, 2025, Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates to become the Democratic nominee.

Early life and education

Mamdani was born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda, the only child of filmmaker Mira Nair and postcolonialism academic Mahmood Mamdani.[11][12] He was given his middle name, Kwame, by his father in honor of Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana.[13][14] Both his parents are of Indian descent; his mother is a Punjabi Hindu[15][16] who was born in Rourkela and raised in Bhubaneswar,[17] and his father is a Gujarati Muslim who was born in Bombay and primarily grew up in Uganda.[18] His paternal grandparents were born in present-day Tanzania and his father's family was part of the Indian diaspora in Southeast Africa.[18]

Mamdani lived in Kampala until he was five, when his family moved to Cape Town, in South Africa's Western Cape province.[11] He attended St. George's Grammar School in Mowbray while his father taught African studies at the University of Cape Town.[14] The family then moved to America, settling in New York City when Mamdani was seven, and he was raised in Morningside Heights.[19] He has described his upbringing as "privileged", saying, "I never had to want for something, and yet I knew that was not in any way the reality for most New Yorkers."[20]

Mamdani attended the Bank Street School for Children on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where he successfully ran as the independent candidate in a middle school mock election, adopting a platform of "equal rights, anti-war [policy] that proposed spending money on education rather than the military".[21] In 2003, he lived in and attended school in Kampala for a year when his father was on sabbatical there;[18] his father was working on the book Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, and Mamdani's paternal grandparents and aunt helped care for him.[22]

Mamdani graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in Kingsbridge Heights,[23] where he unsuccessfully ran for student body vice president.[24] Mamdani then attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where he co-founded the school's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. He graduated in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in Africana studies.[25][26]

Career

Before running for office, Mamdani worked as a foreclosure prevention and housing counselor, assisting lower-income nonwhite homeowners in Queens with eviction notices and efforts to remain in their homes.[27] He said the experience motivated him to run for office to address the housing and affordability crisis.[27]

Music career

Mamdani is a fan of hip-hop and has composed and produced rap music.[28] In 2016, under the rap moniker Young Cardamom, he collaborated with Ugandan rapper HAB on an EP titled Sidda Mukyaalo, which is Luganda for "No going back to the village".[29] In 2019, he released a single titled "Nani" under the moniker Mr. Cardamom.[30] Cookbook author and actress Madhur Jaffrey is featured in the single's music video, playing Mamdani's grandmother.[31]

Mamdani curated and produced the soundtrack for his mother Mira Nair's 2016 film Queen of Katwe.[32][33] As the film's music supervisor, he was nominated in the 2017 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards.[34]

Early political involvement

Mamdani entered New York City politics as a volunteer for Ali Najmi's campaign in the 2015 special election for the 23rd district of the City Council.[13][28] In 2017, Mamdani joined the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and worked for the campaign of New York City Council candidate Khader El-Yateem, a Palestinian Lutheran minister and democratic socialist from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.[13] Mamdani served as the campaign manager for Ross Barkan's 2018 bid for the New York State Senate and was also a field organizer for fellow democratic socialist Tiffany Cabán's 2019 campaign for Queens County District Attorney.[13][35]

New York State Assembly (2020–present)

Mamdani at the Resist Fascism Rally in Bryant Park (October 27, 2024)

In October 2019, Mamdani announced his campaign to represent New York's 36th State Assembly district, which encompasses Astoria and Long Island City in Queens.[36][37] He was endorsed by the DSA,[38] running on a platform of housing reform, police and prison reform, and public ownership of utilities.[36] Mamdani's June 2020 primary victory over four-term Democratic incumbent Aravella Simotas took almost a month to call,[39] and he won the general election with no Republican opposition in November.[40] Mamdani was reelected without opposition in 2022[41] and 2024.[42]

Mamdani is a member of the DSA's nine-member "State Socialists in Office" bloc in New York and a member of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York.[13][43][44]

As of January 2025, Mamdani was a member of nine Assembly committees: The Committee on Aging; the Committee on Cities; the Committee on Election Law; the Committee on Energy; the Committee on Real Property Taxation; the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus; the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force; the Asian Pacific American Task Force; and the Task Force on New Americans.[45]

Mamdani had been the primary sponsor of 20 bills in the Assembly—three of which became law—and the co-sponsor of 238 bills as of May 2025.[46] As of March 2025, he was the only state legislator in the mayoral race not to miss a session in Albany in 2025.[47]

As a member of the Assembly, Mamdani helped to launch a successful fare-free bus pilot program and participated in a hunger strike alongside taxi drivers.[47][48]

2025 New York City mayoral campaign

Main articles: 2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary and 2025 New York City mayoral election
Zohran for Mayor Logo

On October 23, 2024, Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City in 2025.[49] His platform includes support for free city buses and a rent freeze in rent-stabilized housing.[50][51][52] Mamdani also wants the city government to operate five grocery stores—one in each borough—to drive down grocery prices.[53] Mamdani's platform includes support for universal child care and for the construction of 200,000 new affordable housing units.[54] He also supports public safety reform and a $30 minimum wage by 2030.[55] His platform calls for tax increases on corporations and those earning above $1 million annually.[56] He has been critical of the state of Israel's treatment of the Palestinian people, pledging to abide by an International Criminal Court warrant by arresting Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to visit New York City.[57][58]

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Mamdani as her first choice for New York City mayor, saying "Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack."[59] She appeared at a rally for Mamdani on June 14.[60] On June 13, Mamdani and Brad Lander cross-endorsed each other in the primary.[61] U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders endorsed Mamdani, saying: "Our nation faces a fundamental choice: Will we continue with a corporate-dominated politics driven by billionaires or will we build a grass-roots movement fueled by everyday people, committed to fighting oligarchy, authoritarianism, and kleptocracy?"[62]

Volunteers for Mamdani

Also on June 16, the editorial board of The New York Times wrote that it did "not believe that Mr. Mamdani deserves a spot on New Yorkers' ballots", calling his experience "too thin" and likening his agenda to "a turbocharged version of Mr. de Blasio's dismaying mayoralty".[63] The Atlantic's Michael Powell likened his campaign to magical realism, claiming it was "exuberantly disconnected from actual government budgets and organizational charts."[51] After the primary election, President Donald Trump called Mamdani a "100% Communist lunatic".[64] The New York Times's chief fashion critic, Vanessa Friedman, noted the deliberate contrast between those sorts of radical descriptors and Mamdani's preferred dress code, which for his mayoral campaign consisted almost exclusively of a traditional suit and tie. "Dressing like an establishment guy offers a counterargument of its own", she said.[65]

For most of the campaign, Mamdani trailed Cuomo in polling. While he and Cuomo raised similar amounts of money, his donor base was considerably larger than Cuomo's.[66] However, a poll taken shortly before the June 24 primary election showed that Mamdani had caught up to Cuomo.[67] First-choice results on election night showed Mamdani had a large lead over Cuomo,[68][69] who conceded the race to Mamdani that evening.[70]

Mamdani's victory as the Democratic Party candidate, which was announced by the Associated Press on July 1 after the New York City Board of Elections released its ranked-choice ballot tabulation,[71] was considered a major upset.[72] In the weeks after the primary, Mamdani was endorsed for the general election by Adriano Espaillat[73] and Jerry Nadler,[74] who represent portions of New York City in federal Congress, and by labor unions including the United Federation of Teachers,[75] the New York State Nurses Association,[76] and local chapter 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union.[76]

The New York Times wrote that Mamdani's victory in the primary "offered the starkest evidence yet that outspoken opposition to Israel and its government—and even questioning its existence as a Jewish state—is increasingly acceptable to broader swaths of the party, even in areas where pro-Israel Jews have long been a bedrock part of the Democratic coalition."[77]

Drawing on hacked material provided by a white supremacist,[78] The New York Times wrote that on Mamdani's unsuccessful 2009 application to Columbia University, he checked the race boxes "Asian" and "Black or African American". Mamdani said his intent was to represent his Indian-Ugandan background given the limited options available, not to improve his chances of admission.[1] It was variously described as trivial,[79] illustrative of problems with race-conscious admissions,[80] not wrong,[81] related to the specific history of South Asians in Africa,[79] a non-scandal,[82] and a distraction from mayoral issues.[79]

Islamophobic, racist, and xenophobic attacks

Shortly after Mamdani became the presumptive nominee, several Republicans attacked him using Islamophobic, racist, or xenophobic content.[83][84] U.S. Representative Nancy Mace wrote on Twitter that, "After 9/11 we said 'Never Forget.' I think we sadly have forgotten."[85] Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene posted an image of the Statue of Liberty wearing a burqa. Others associated with the MAGA movement, including Laura Loomer, Charlie Kirk, and Donald Trump Jr., also spoke of Mamdani in the context of 9/11. On The Brian Lehrer Show, Democratic U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's assertions of "past positions, particularly references to global jihad" could not be substantiated;[86][87] her office later said she "misspoke", and she called Mamdani to apologize.[88] The Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) noted a significant increase in Islamophobic content on Twitter the day after Mamdani became the presumptive nominee.[89]

Republican U.S. Representative Andy Ogles appealed to Attorney General Pam Bondi to denaturalize and deport Mamdani, alleging that he had concealed support for terrorism when he applied to become a citizen. In a tweet, Ogles referred to Mamdani as "little muhammad [sic]" and "antisemitic, socialist, communist".[90] Ogles linked his statement about terrorism to lyrics in "Salaam", a 2017 song in which Mamdani expressed support for the Holy Land Five, a group found guilty in 2008 of providing material support to Hamas.[91] CAIR condemned Ogles's use of "little muhammad" as Islamophobic and racist, and pointed out that groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union consider the Holy Land Five trial seriously flawed.[91]

On July 1, Trump suggested without evidence that Mamdani might be in the U.S. illegally, adding that his administration would look into that question.[92] Trump also threatened to arrest Mamdani and withhold funding from New York City if he refused to comply with Trump's mass deportations.[93] Trump also suggested a federal takeover of New York City if Mamdani is elected.[94]

Political positions

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Mamdani began to identify as a democratic socialist after Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign.[35] He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.[44][53]

Childcare and education

Mamdani supports a universal pre-kindergarten childcare system.[95][96][97] He has proposed giving all new New York City families "baby baskets" containing products such as diapers and nursing supplies.[98] Mamdani introduced a bill to eliminate New York University's and Columbia University's state property tax exemption and direct those funds to the City University of New York system, which has historically struggled with funding.[99]

In an interview with Der Blatt, a newspaper associated with the Hasidic movement of Judaism, Mamdani expressed a desire to defend Hasidic yeshivas (institutions for Torah study) from accusations of failing to meet state educational standards.[100] He stated that "I will listen to your leaders" on education and "I will work to protect you from anyone who wants to disturb your way of life".[100]

Crime and policing

Mamdani has argued that increasing policing and incarceration does little to prevent harm and that "dignified work, economic stability, and well-resourced neighborhoods" can more effectively keep the public safe.[101] He has advocated a more community-based approach to reducing crime, focusing on homeless outreach and anti-violence programs. He contends that there is too much reliance on police to fix societal problems, saying, "Police have a critical role to play, but right now we are relying on them to deal with the failures of the social safety net of reliance that is preventing them from doing their actual jobs."[102] He has proposed a Department of Community Safety to expand mental health outreach.[53]

In a June 2020 tweet, Mamdani wrote, "We don't need an investigation to know that the NYPD is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety. What we need is to #DefundTheNYPD."[103][104] During the 2025 mayoral race, he said he would work with the police rather than defund them, emphasizing their importance in dealing with violent crime and the role of social workers and mental health professionals in addressing underlying causes and prevention.[105]

Economic policy

Mamdani advocates for debt relief among taxi medallion owners.[106]

Mamdani has advocated rent control, strengthening tenant protections, and creating a Social Housing Development Agency that would build publicly owned affordable housing.[107] He wants to build 200,000 new units of affordable, rent-stabilized homes over the next 10 years and double the amount of spending to rehabilitate homes for the city's 400,000 public housing tenants.[108] He also wants to "increase density around mass transit hubs" and "upzone wealthier neighborhoods", citing housing policies in Jersey City and Tokyo as examples.[109]

Mamdani supports raising New York City's minimum wage to $30 per hour by 2030.[110] He advocates a pilot program in which the city government would operate one grocery store in each borough to drive down prices.[53][111]

Mamdani supports an increase in corporate taxes in New York State from 7.25% to 11.5%, to match those of New Jersey.[112] He also supports a new 2% increase for income tax on city residents who earn more than $1 million a year,[108] to raise $20 billion to fund tuition-free CUNY and SUNY schools, statewide universal childcare, a subway fare freeze, free MTA buses, and tenant protections.[113] In June 2025, Mamdani said, "I don't think we should have billionaires."[114]

Mamdani made a mayoral campaign pledge to reduce taxes on "overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs" of New York City, while advocating to increase taxes on "more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods."[115][116] His intention with this policy was to tackle a 1981 property tax law that essentially taxes owners of expensive homes based on the homes' potential rental price rather than their market value, which could lead to the owners paying much less property tax than owners of cheap homes.[117]

Environment

Mamdani views climate action as essential to achieving social justice in New York City. In 2021, he organized volunteers and lobbied Governor Kathy Hochul to prevent the expansion of a gas-fired peaker power plant in Astoria, citing environmental concerns for low-income nonwhite communities.[118][119] Mamdani has also backed statewide measures such as the All-Electric Buildings Act, which prohibits installing fossil fuel equipment (e.g., gas stoves) in new buildings, and supported introducing congestion pricing in Manhattan to reduce traffic-related emissions.[120][121]

As a mayoral candidate, Mamdani proposed a comprehensive decarbonization and resilience agenda. His "Green Schools for a Healthier New York City" blueprint would retrofit 500 public school buildings with rooftop solar arrays and upgraded HVAC systems, build 500 green schoolyards, transform heat-absorbing asphalt into green space serving students and community residents, convert 50 schools into year-round resilience hubs to offer shelter and resources during extreme heat, storms, or flooding, and extend tax incentives such as J-51 benefits to support building owners' compliance with Local Law 97.[120][122]

Healthcare

Mamdani supports the New York Health Act, which would establish single-payer healthcare in New York State.[123] He portrayed a firefighter in a 2021 advertisement for the Campaign for New York Health.[123]

Israel–Palestine–Iran; views on antisemitism

Mamdani is deeply critical of Israel, condemning Israeli apartheid in 2023.[77] He supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement,[124] having introduced a bill to the state assembly in 2023 to prohibit registered charities from donating to organizations involved in Israel's illegal West Bank settlements; a later iteration of the bill added organizations lending support to alleged war crimes in Gaza.[125][44]

The day after the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel, Mamdani issued a statement to "mourn the hundreds of people killed across Israel and Palestine" and to say that the end of "occupation" and "apartheid" was the only path to peace;[126].[77][127] He later condemned the Hamas attacks as a "horrific war crime".[77][128] The next week, Mamdani was arrested during a pro-Palestinian ceasefire demonstration.[129][130][131][128]

In 2025, Mamdani said he believed Israel was committing a genocide in Gaza,[132][124] and that if Benjamin Netanyahu travels to New York City, he should be arrested in accordance with the International Criminal Court's warrant for his arrest.[133] Mamdani declined to sign an annual New York Assembly resolution celebrating the founding of Israel because he disagreed with the resolution's assertion that Israel "continues to strive for peace with security and dignity for itself, its neighbors and throughout the world".[134] Mamdani has said that Israel "has a right to exist as a state with equal rights for all its citizens", but has not said he believes it has a right to exist as a Jewish state.[135][136][77] Previously, Mamdani co-sponsored or voted for the Assembly's resolution.[134][137]

While campaigning for New York City mayor on The Bulwark podcast in June 2025, Mamdani was asked about the phrase "globalize the Intifada". He said it is a symbolic call against Israel's violation of Palestinian human rights, not for violence or antisemitism. Mamdani said, and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency later confirmed, that the word "intifada" has been used by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Arabic translations referring to Jewish resistance during World War II.[138][139] U.S. Representatives Ted Deutch and Dan Goldman criticized the comments, as did former World Jewish Congress vice president Marc Schneier, ADL leader Jonathan Greenblatt, and Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch.[140][138][141] Fellow mayoral candidate and Jewish New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said he personally disliked the slogan but believed Mamdani would protect Jewish New Yorkers as mayor.[142][140][143] After Mamdani became the presumptive nominee, U.S. Representative and prominent New York Jewish leader Jerry Nadler endorsed him, saying he would join Mamdani in fighting hate.[77]

Republicans have called Mamdani antisemitic over his support of Palestine and criticism of Israel.[144] Mamdani said his criticism of Israel is not equivalent to antisemitism,[144] and that there is a difference between anti-Zionism and antisemitism.[145] After criticism of his Bulwark interview, Mamdani responded: "I've said at every opportunity that there is no room for antisemitism in this city, in this country."[146] Mamdani has expressed love for Jews in New York City[147] and said that antisemitism, which he called a real issue in New York City, is antithetical to his "belief in universal human rights".[147][148] He has made campaign pledges to protect Jewish New Yorkers by establishing a city department of community safety and spending 800% more city funds on anti-hate crime programming.[145][149]

Mamdani condemned the US airstrikes on Iran during the Iran–Israel war as unconstitutional and destabilizing.[150]

Modi and the BJP

At a mayoral forum in May 2025, during which he appeared alongside Brad Lander and Scott Stringer, the question of engaging with Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi at a rally, such as one at Madison Square Garden, was posed.[151] In response, Mamdani said he would refuse, saying he considers Modi, who is part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a "war criminal", and further accused him of "orchestrat[ing] a mass slaughter of Muslims in Gujarat" during the 2002 riots, in which 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus died.[152] He added that he believes these events resulted in not many Muslims being left in Gujarat, and that most people believe that Gujarati Muslims don't even exist today. He further stated that Modi should be viewed in the same light as Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister of Israel.[153]

Opposition leaders in India quickly criticized Mamdani's assertion that there are not many Muslims left in Gujarat,[151] calling it a 'blatant lie' and pointing out that in the state's most recent census, Muslims made up at-least 10% of the population.[151][153]

Social issues

Mamdani supported Proposal 1, a 2024 amendment to the Constitution of New York that made it unconstitutional to engage in discrimination based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), pregnancy and pregnancy-related outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.[154][155][156]

Immigration

Mamdani supports enforcement of New York's sanctuary laws, which bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from entering schools, hospitals, and city property without a judicial warrant, and has advocated for stronger sanctuary laws.[157] He has also proposed creating a commission to ensure compliance by city agencies and contractors.[158] He has pledged that if he is elected mayor, the city will provide legal representation for all immigrants in detention proceedings.[159]

On March 12, 2025, Mamdani confronted border czar Tom Homan in Albany about ICE's recent arrest of Mahmoud Khalil. Mamdani yelled, "Do you believe in the First Amendment?"[160]

LGBTQ+ rights

Mamdani supports LGBTQ+ rights.[161][162] He aims to establish NYC as an LGBTQ+ sanctuary city and establish the Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs to "expand and centralize the services, programs, and support that LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers need across housing, employment, and more."[163][164] Mamdani says LGBTQ+ people who became homeless due to their identity would benefit from his cost-of-living policies.[162]

Mamdani appeared at a February 2025 rally in Union Square to protest an executive order signed by President Trump that threatened to "withhold federal funding from hospitals that provide gender-affirming treatments to trans youth".[165][166] As part of his platform, he supports expanding and protecting gender-affirming care citywide. He proposed an immediate investment of $65 million in public providers to ensure funding for medical treatments that lose Medicaid coverage and promised to ensure hospital accountability.[164]

Transportation

Mamdani supports permanently eliminating bus fares.[167] He advocated for a fare-free pilot program on MTA buses,[168][169] which was launched on the Q4, B60, Bx18, M116 and S46/96 routes in September 2023.[170][171] The program saw a 30% increase in ridership on weekdays, predominantly from people earning less than $28,000 a year. Across the five routes made free, assaults on bus operators dropped by 38.9%.[172] The fare-free program ended in August 2024 after state lawmakers did not reauthorize it.[173][174] In response, Mamdani said, "the MTA was opposed to this program ... because they were saying that now is not the time to create any kind of confusion around fare collection."[168][175] He estimates that it would cost New York City $650 million per year to eliminate bus fares.[176]

In December 2022, Mamdani introduced a series of bills for the 2023 session called "Fix the MTA". He proposed free bus travel over the next four years across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and then Manhattan and Staten Island.[177] The Formula Three Act would fill the $2.5 billion shortfall of the MTA with another plank freezing fares at $2.75. Another plank would have set aside further money for more frequency, such as six-minute headways for trains and the 100 most-used bus routes, then using any additional funds to increase service by 20%.[178]

In 2023, Mamdani co-introduced a bill to enact a weight-based vehicle-registration fee to dissuade people from owning heavier vehicles in an effort to make streets safer.[179] Mamdani supports congestion pricing in New York City and drafted a bill with New York state senator Michael Gianaris titled "Get Congestion Pricing Right" to increase bus service frequency and increase the number of fare-free buses.[180]

Personal life

Mamdani is a dual citizen of Uganda and the United States; he was naturalized in the latter country in 2018.[1] He is Shia Muslim and identifies with the Twelver branch.[25][181] In February 2025, Mamdani married animator Rama Duwaji in a civil ceremony at New York City Hall.[182] The couple met years earlier on the dating application Hinge, and held a private nikah ceremony in December 2024.[183] Mamdani and Duwaji reside in Astoria, Queens.[13]

Mamdani is a fan of the New York Mets and the New York Giants.[184] He also supports the English football club Arsenal.[185] Besides English, Mamdani has spoken other languages during his mayoral campaign, showing different degrees of proficiency in Hindi–Urdu, Bengali, and Spanish.[186][187][188]

Electoral history

New York State Assembly elections

2020 New York State Assembly 36th district election[189][190]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zohran Mamdani 8,410 51.20%
Democratic Aravella Simotas (incumbent) 7,986 48.62%
Write-in 30 0.18%
Total votes 16,426 100.00%
Blank/Spoiled 976
General election
Democratic Zohran Mamdani 38,221 98.46%
Write-in 596 1.54%
Total votes 38,817 100.00%
Blank/Spoiled 11,957
2022 New York State Assembly 36th district election[191]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zohran Mamdani (incumbent) 18,636 76.29%
Working Families Zohran Mamdani (incumbent) 5,454 22.33%
Total Zohran Mamdani (incumbent) 24,090 98.62%
Write-in 338 1.38%
Total votes 24,428 100.00%
Blank/Spoiled 6,038
2024 New York State Assembly 36th district election[192]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zohran Mamdani (incumbent) 30,161 78.33%
Working Families Zohran Mamdani (incumbent) 7,750 20.13%
Total Zohran Mamdani (incumbent) 37,911 98.45%
Write-in 596 1.55%
Total votes 38,507 100.00%
Blank/Spoiled 10,804

New York City mayoral elections

Main articles: 2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary and 2025 New York City mayoral election
2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary
Candidate Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
Votes % Votes % Votes %
Zohran Mamdani 469,602 43.82% 469,715 43.86% 573,123 56.39%
Andrew Cuomo 387,118 36.12% 387,358 36.17% 443,208 43.61%
Brad Lander 120,627 11.26% 120,700 11.27% Eliminated
Adrienne Adams 44,190 4.12% 44,357 4.14% Eliminated
Scott Stringer 17,818 1.66% 17,892 1.67% Eliminated
Zellnor Myrie 10,593 0.99% 10,648 0.99% Eliminated
Whitney Tilson 8,443 0.79% 8,525 0.80% Eliminated
Michael Blake 4,366 0.41% 4,389 0.41% Eliminated
Jessica Ramos 4,272 0.40% 4,293 0.40% Eliminated
Paperboy Prince 1,560 0.15% 1,628 0.15% Eliminated
Selma Bartholomew 1,489 0.14% 1,505 0.14% Eliminated
Write-ins 1,581 0.15% Eliminated
Active votes 1,071,659 100.00% 1,071,010 100.00% 1,016,331 100.00%
Exhausted ballots — 649 0.06% 55,328 5.16%
Source: New York City Board of Elections[193]

Notes

  1. ^ Democratic Socialists of America is not a registered political party. Instead, it is a political organization for those with democratic socialist ideologies. He is a member of and is endorsed by the New York City chapter.
  2. ^ Elected on both Democratic Party and WFP ballot lines in New York via electoral fusion.
  3. ^ English pronunciation: /zəˈ(h)rɑːn ˈkwɑːmeɪ məmˈdɑːni/ ⓘ zə-(H)RAHN KWAH-may məm-DAH-nee;[2][3] Hindi: ज़ोहरान क्वामे ममदानी,[4] Urdu: زہران کوامے ممدانی,[5][6] sometimes زوہران[7] or ظہران,[8][9] pronounced [zoːˈɦɾaːn ˈkwaːmeː məmˈdaːniː].[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Ryan, Benjamin; Fandos, Nicholas; Rubinstein, Dana (July 3, 2025). "Mamdani Identified as Asian and African American on College Application". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 4, 2025. He was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2018 and is now a dual citizen of the United States and Uganda.
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  192. ^ "2024 Nov 5 • General – Member of Assembly • State Assembly District 36". New York State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
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New York State Assembly
Preceded by Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 36th district
2021–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City
2025 		Most recent
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zohran_Mamdani&oldid=1300807216"