In a post on social media, Sadiq Khan drew parallels between New York’s political moment and his own journey in London. (Reuters, Associated Press) London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Wednesday congratulated New York’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, hailing his win as a victory of “hope over fear.”
In a post on social media, Khan drew parallels between New York’s political moment and his own journey in London.
“New Yorkers faced a clear choice — between hope and fear — and just like we’ve seen in London, hope won,” Khan wrote in a post on X. “Huge congratulations to Zohran Mamdani on his historic campaign.”
Khan, a Labour leader of Pakistani heritage, made history in 2016 when he became the first Muslim to be elected Mayor of London. In 2024, Khan became the first person to be elected London Mayor for a third term.
Khan’s remarks also appeared to take a subtle swipe at US President Donald Trump, with whom he has had a long and public feud. The two leaders have repeatedly traded barbs, with Trump calling Khan “the worst mayor in the world,” and Khan describing Trump as “racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic.”
Mamdani, 34, struck a similar tone of optimism in his victory speech, declaring New York “a city of immigrants, built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant.”
Born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and scholar Mahmood Mamdani, the democratic socialist lawmaker became the first South Asian and Muslim elected to lead New York City.
Mamdani’s victory was a setback for Trump, who had thrown his weight behind Andrew Cuomo, a former Democrat running as an independent.
The mayor-elect described himself as “Trump’s worst nightmare” and said New York had shown “a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him”.