By Matija Šerić
Zohran Mamdani worked on two other campaigns that didn’t yield the desired results. In 2018, he took on the role of campaign manager for Ross Barkan in a bold race for the New York State Senate, and a year later, he gave his all as a field organizer in the tense and nearly victorious campaign of democratic socialist Tiffany Cabán for Queens District Attorney. Although these political contests didn’t end in victories, Mamdani’s commitment and energy in fighting for progressive goals demonstrated his determination and passion for a fairer society.
A Fighter for Tenants’ Rights
Before fully entering politics at the end of 2019 as a candidate for public office, Mamdani worked as a foreclosure prevention and housing counselor, dedicated to helping low-income immigrants in Queens who faced the threat of losing their homes. He witnessed firsthand the struggles of families desperately trying to keep a roof over their heads. This experience, as he later stated, inspired him to run for public office to address the growing housing crisis and make housing accessible to everyone.
Mamdani Becomes a State Assemblyman
In October 2019, Mamdani announced his candidacy for the New York State Assembly, representing the 36th District, which includes Long Island City and Astoria. He received the endorsement of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). This came as no surprise, as his campaign platform advocated for public control of public services, reform of the police and prison systems, and housing reform. He won the 2020 election and ran unopposed in both 2022 and 2024.
He took office on January 1, 2021. As of May of this year, Mamdani had been the primary sponsor of 20 bills in the New York State Assembly—three of which became law—and co-sponsored 238 additional bills, showing his commitment to creating real change through legislation. He is a member of the Muslim Democratic Circle of New York and part of the nine-member Socialist Caucus—public officials who are members of the DSA. As an assemblyman, he helped launch a successful fare-free bus pilot program and joined a hunger strike organized by taxi drivers.
Mamdani interview about Trump
Announcing His Bid for America’s Largest City
Given his rising profile as a state assemblyman, it wasn’t entirely unexpected when, in October 2024, Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of the City That Never Sleeps. Although many New Yorkers initially hadn’t heard of him, over time his visibility and support grew steadily. The reason was simple: a radical political agenda and the grim social reality of both New York and America.
Life in the country’s largest city—home to 8.4 million people—had become increasingly difficult, especially for the middle class and the poor. Mamdani offered concrete solutions to this reality.
Life in NYC – The Collapse of the American Dream
It’s fair to say that over the past 10 to 15 years, the American Dream has completely collapsed for the vast majority of New York City residents. The American Dream, one of the founding ideas of the United States, holds that anyone, regardless of background, can achieve success and a better life through hard work and determination. That is no longer the case.
The city’s biggest wound is the skyrocketing cost of housing. The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan now exceeds $4,000, while such apartments were once far more affordable. At the same time, property taxes and maintenance costs are climbing. Electricity, gas, and heating prices in New York are among the highest in the country, with winter heating bills reaching hundreds of dollars per month for the average family.
Prices of basic groceries at stores such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods keep rising, and restaurants and cafes have seen price increases of 10–15 percent in recent years. Monthly MetroCards for the subway and buses have gone up, while delays and service disruptions remain common, further burdening workers who rely on public transit. Health insurance and medical care are also prohibitively expensive. Many middle-class residents pay thousands of dollars annually for coverage, while emergency medical care is often out of reach for the poor.
The ever-increasing cost of living—food, transportation, healthcare, clothing, education, and childcare—hits low-income households the hardest. Last year, NYC’s inflation rate was 4.3 percent, above the national average. Adding to this, in January 2025, right-winger Donald Trump became president—a development that most New Yorkers, who lean liberal, progressive, or socialist, viewed with dismay. This opened space for the rise of an anti-Trump figure.
A Visionary Young Politician Offers a Cure
Mamdani turned out to be exactly the kind of politician most New Yorkers had been waiting for. He offered tangible solutions to their everyday problems while standing as a complete political contrast to Trump.
The young New Yorker of Indian descent built his campaign on several core pillars: raising the minimum wage to $30 per hour by 2030, reforming public safety, freezing rents, making all city bus rides free, opening city-run grocery stores (five per borough—Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island) with controlled prices, establishing universal childcare (including nurseries, kindergartens, and healthcare), and constructing 200,000 new housing units, among other policies.
Under Mamdani’s plan, the city-run stores would fight food price inflation by using city-owned land, purchasing food at wholesale prices, and exempting store operators from property taxes. To fund these initiatives, he proposed new taxes on corporations and individuals earning over one million dollars annually.
A Radical Leftist
Considering his policies, the 34-year-old politician can be described as a democratic socialist, progressive, populist, and to some extent, a radical leftist. His beliefs are reflected in his support for comprehensive healthcare legislation banning discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, or age—including reproductive rights.
Although he had previously advocated for “defunding the police” as an activist and state assemblyman, as a mayoral candidate he supported the work of the NYPD for the sake of maintaining public safety.
Report about Mamdani
From Outsider to Frontrunner
At the start of his campaign, Mamdani was a complete outsider. Gradually, however, he began catching up to former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, also a Democrat, and by summer, polls showed them neck and neck. To appeal to voters, Mamdani used Indian songs and cultural references that resonated with immigrant communities, presenting himself as a man of the people—attending rallies, sports events, charity gatherings, and other community occasions.
He succeeded beyond expectations. Over time, his campaign raised more money than Cuomo’s, thanks to numerous small donors—amassing at least $2.3 million. On July 1, he won the Democratic Party nomination for mayor. Cuomo ran against him in the general election as an independent candidate.
Interestingly, despite being a Muslim, pro-Palestinian, and a critic of Israel, Mamdani managed to win significant support from New York’s Jewish community. By summer, he had 43 percent support among Jewish voters overall and 67 percent among those under 45. The New York metropolitan area is home to 1.3 million Jews—making it the largest Jewish population outside Israel.
In the final weeks before the election, Mamdani became the clear frontrunner, receiving endorsements from prominent political figures such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
A Convincing Victory
On November 4, Mamdani achieved a decisive triumph over Cuomo and Sliwa. Voters yearning for change were not intimidated by Trump’s campaign threats to cut federal funding for NYC if Mamdani became mayor (about 10 percent of the city’s budget comes from federal sources). Trump even threatened Mamdani with deportation—but to no avail.
The people of New York, including Jewish voters, largely embraced Mamdani, delivering a powerful blow to Wall Street interests, the Israeli lobby, Trump’s administration, and Israel itself. After the election, former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden praised Mamdani’s campaign as a rare political spectacle. He is set to take office on January 1, 2026.
References:
https://www.searchlightinstitute.org/research/how-zohran-mamdani-won/
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/04/nx-s1-5597788/election-results-zohran-mamdani-new-york-city-mayor
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/06/politics/zohran-mamdani-new-york-win-maps
