In a political shocker that has reverberated across the US, Indian-American and Ugandan-born Zohran Kwame Mamdani declared victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary after defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
A 33-year-old democratic socialist and member of the New York State Assembly, Mamdani represents a new generation of leadership. Here are 10 things you should know about the rising political star who just made history.
1. He Defeated a Political Giant
On June 24, Mamdani overtook Andrew Cuomo — the scandal-plagued former governor with name recognition and a formidable fundraising machine — by a significant margin in the first-choice ballots.
With ranked-choice voting underway, Mamdani’s early dominance made an outright win highly likely.
2. He’s the First South Asian and Ugandan to Win the Nomination
At seven years old, Mamdani left Kampala, Uganda, for a new life in New York City. He is now the first South Asian man, first Ugandan-born American, and only the third Muslim ever elected to the New York State Assembly — and possibly its first South Asian mayor.
3. He Met His Wife on Hinge
Outside of politics, Mamdani has a down-to-earth side. He met his wife on the dating app Hinge, a detail he often shares with humour and pride.
The couple are known for being active in community events, reflecting Mamdani’s emphasis on everyday New Yorkers.
4. He Ran on a Platform of Radical Affordability
At the heart of Mamdani’s campaign is a bold plan to make New York more liveable.
He promises to freeze rent on all stabilized apartments, build 200,000 units of affordable housing, and crack down on landlords who neglect tenants.
5. Son of Renowned Scholar and Acclaimed Filmmaker
Zohran Mamdani comes from a family steeped in academia and the arts. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a Ugandan-born Indian scholar known for his work on colonialism and African politics.
His mother, Mira Nair, is the acclaimed filmmaker behind Monsoon Wedding and The Namesake. After living in Kampala and Cape Town, the family moved to New York when Zohran was seven.
6. He Proposes City-Owned Grocery Stores
With food prices skyrocketing, Mamdani envisions non-profit, city-owned grocery stores that buy in bulk, skip rent and taxes, and pass on savings to residents.
His plan aims to ensure food affordability and reduce dependence on private chains.
7. He Champions Universal Free Childcare
Mamdani wants to offer free childcare from 6 weeks to age 5 for all New Yorkers. He says high costs are forcing families to leave the city — and disproportionately affecting mothers.
He also pledges fair wages for childcare workers, many of whom currently live in poverty.
8. He Wants to Replace Policing with Prevention
While acknowledging the role of law enforcement, Mamdani proposes a new Department of Community Safety to shift the city’s response to crime.
His approach includes funding mental health services, deploying outreach workers in subways, and dramatically increasing investment in gun violence prevention.
9. Once a Rapper, Now a Mayoral Frontrunner
Before entering politics, Zohran Mamdani had a brief rap career under the names Mr. Cardamom and Young Cardamom. His 2016 track #1 Spice—featured in the Disney film Queen of Katwe directed by his mother, Mira Nair—marked his music debut.
After winning New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, self proclaimed ‘B-list rapper’ Mamdani’s rap past resurfaced online, with his 2019 music video Nani gaining traction. The video, dedicated to his grandmother, features actress Madhur Jaffrey and has racked up over 279,000 views.
10. He’s Backed by AOC and Bernie Sanders
Progressive leaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders backed Mamdani’s campaign.
Their support made him look good to young and left-leaning voters, and in just a few months he went from being an unknown Assemblymember to the leading candidate for mayor.
As New York gets ready for the general election, Zohran Mamdani is a symbol of generational change and a progressive vision of how cities should be run that puts fairness, public infrastructure, and community care ahead of business interests.
It is not clear if he can keep this up when he gets to City Hall, but one thing is for sure: people will be hearing a lot more about Zohran Mamdani.
Watch videos here:
@zohran_k_mamdani Small businesses account for over 90% of all companies in NYC and employ nearly half of all workers in the private sector. But the economic outlook for small businesses in New York state is dead last nationwide, and too many in our city are forced to close because staying open costs too much and navigating the bureaucracy is too difficult. That costs New Yorkers their jobs, small business owners their dreams, and our city the places that give it character. We’re going to make it faster, easier, and cheaper to start and run a business: ✅ Cut fines and fees for small businesses in half ✅ Speed up permitting and make online applications easier ✅ Increase funding for 1:1 small business support by 500 percent
@zohran_k_mamdani I’m proud I don’t have Andrew Cuomo’s experience of corruption, scandal and disgrace. And the name is M-A-M-D-A-N-I.
@metrouk BREAKING: Democratic socialist Zohran has won the race to be the Democratic candidate for Mayor of New York. The 33-year-old, who used to rap under the name Mr Cardimom, defeated high profile candidates to achieve victory. He will now go on to the general election to face off against the unpopular current mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent. #newyork #zohranmamdani #usnews #election #newyorkcity
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