Mamdani, a 33-year-old state lawmaker from Queens, has centered his campaign on a pledge to make New York City more affordable. (X/@ZohranKMamdani)New York City Mayoral Primary Election Results 2025: Six months ago, many New Yorkers did not know Zohran Mamdani’s name. Now, he’s defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary.
Mamdani, a progressive state assemblyman from Queens, has surprised the political world with his strong fund-raising numbers, populist proposals, and videos that have gone viral on social media.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist member of the state Assembly, started to pull ahead with more than an estimated 80 per cent of ballots counted. Cuomo, in a speech to supporters, said Mamdani “won” and that “we are going to take a look and make some decisions”.
Mamdani, born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda, is son of acclaimed Indian filmmaker Mira Nair, known for movies like Salaam Bombay!, Monsoon Wedding, and The Namesake and noted academic Mahmood Mamdani. The family first moved to Cape Town and eventually settled in New York City when Zohran was seven years old.
His middle name, Kwame, pays tribute to Ghana’s revolutionary leader Kwame Nkrumah. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and went on to graduate from Bowdoin College in 2014 with a degree in Africana Studies. During his time at Bowdoin, he co-founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, marking the start of his political activism.
He became a naturalised US citizen in 2018 and was elected to the New York State Assembly for the 36th District in 2020, becoming the first South Asian man, the first Ugandan, and the third Muslim to hold that position.
Mamdani is a practising Shia Muslim. He recently married Rama Duwaji, a Syrian-born illustrator whose work has been featured in publications such as The New Yorker and The Washington Post.
As per a report by NYT, the self-described democratic socialist, Mamdani has pledged to tackle the city’s affordability crisis with bold proposals, including rent freezes for nearly one million rent-stabilised apartments, free public buses, and city-owned grocery stores. He plans to fund these initiatives by raising taxes on the wealthy, a stance that has unsettled business leaders who support Cuomo.
“We live in the most expensive city in the United States of America, and it’s a city that used to be one of dreams that is now just one of struggle,” he said on MSNBC this week.
Known for his progressive vision, Mamdani has captured attention with his populist platform and viral social media presence. He has used his platform to push left-wing policies and shift the ideological centre of Albany politics, as he is now vying to become the city’s first Muslim mayor.
In a surprising move, Mamdani recently released a campaign video in Hindi, riffing on Deewar to declare, “I have the people.”
Billionaires ke paas already sab kuchh hai. Ab, aapka time aageya.
Billionaires already have everything. Now, your time has come. pic.twitter.com/bJcgxzt37S
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) June 4, 2025
Mamdani, a millennial, is also drawing comparisons to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who endorsed Zohran for mayor on Thursday for the upcoming June 24 Democratic primary.
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“Assemblymember 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,” Ocasio-Cortez said as quoted by NYT. “In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that.”
While only a few of the 20+ bills he has introduced have become law, Mamdani is recognised more for mobilising public opinion and supporting broader movements like Good Cause Eviction and Build Public Renewables. An outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights, Mamdani has also drawn controversy for his positions on Israel.
Most recently, as per a report by NYT, a Republican city councilwoman from Queens, Vickie Paladino, sparked outrage by calling for his deportation, despite his citizenship, citing his political views and naturalisation timeline. Mamdani responded by denouncing the rhetoric as Islamophobic and emblematic of Trump-era politics, the report added.
Thank you Sunset Park for rallying and canvassing with us on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Always so proud to stand with my incredible colleagues in elected office, @alexaforcouncil and @marcelaforny. pic.twitter.com/CdVJ50gebK
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) June 1, 2025
While former Governor Andrew Cuomo leads Mamdani slightly in current first-choice polling, ranked-choice simulations show Mamdani closing in by the final round. Incumbent mayor Eric Adams is contesting the polls on an independent ballot.
Backed by the Working Families Party and UAW president Shawn Fain, Mamdani’s campaign has over 20,000 volunteers canvassing citywide. In a recent debate, he branded Cuomo “corrupt” and called himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare — a progressive, Muslim immigrant.”
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