New York City’s New Mayor
Zohran Mamdani by © Dan Callister
Zohran Mamdani (34) a self-described democratic socialist - has won New York's mayoral race. He will become the city's first Muslim mayor after a campaign focused on the cost of living. Largely unknown before winning the the Democratic primary over the summer, supporters hail him as representing a new wave of progressive politics, whereas others, lambaste him as a "communist".
Born in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani moved to New York with his family aged seven. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and later earned a degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College, where he co-founded the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.
Mamdani would be the city's first Muslim and South Asian mayor, and has referenced his identity as a way to build support across the diverse city, posting campaign videos of himself speaking Urdu and Spanish.
He promises affordable housing, free public buses, rent freezes and universal childcare for children under five.
