New Delhi: Indian-origin New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has emerged as a surprise contender in the New York mayoral race of 2025. He has come into the light, evidently, for the most-awaited endorsement of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The 33-year-old, representing Queens, is polling for the upcoming elections against the former governor, Andrew Cuomo.
Mamdani, following the footsteps of veteran U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, claims to be a democratic socialist. His manifesto includes socialist ideas such as free city bus rides, a city-run grocery network, a rent freeze, and a minimum wage of 30 dollars by 2030. The young contender owned the spotlight by gaining people’s attention through grassroots fundraising, viral social media messaging, and a key focus on housing, transit, and economic justice.
Who is Zohran Mamdani?
Zohran Mamdani is a politician and community organiser serving as a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 36th District in Queens since 2021. The contender is one of its kind, as he would be the first Indian-Muslim-origin Mayor in the city of New York. Mamdani’s father is a Columbia University professor, while his mother is none other than the popular Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair.
Before entering the political domain, Mamdani was a housing counsellor and organiser, with a key focus on tenant rights and issues of social justice.
In 2020, Mamdani won the Democratic primaries and took office in 2021 as New York State Assembly member for Queens’ 36th District. He was re-elected unopposed in 2022 and 2024.
👀 Zohran Mamdani on why he refuses to recognize Israel as a ‘Jewish’ state:
“I’m not comfortable supporting any state that has a hierarchy of citizenship on the basis of religion or anything else…. Equality should be enshrined in every country in the world. That’s my belief.” pic.twitter.com/Tmp7UEuyNC
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) June 5, 2025
Mamdani declared his mayoral candidacy on October 23, 2024, during the FBI investigation of alleged straw donors from the government of Turkey through construction company KSK Construction to Adams’s 2021 campaign.
Mamdani’s mayoral goals
Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign has been full of big promises such as free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for people living in rent-regulated apartments, new affordable housing, and raising taxes on the opulent, all packaged in well-produced social media videos.
Some criticised the candidate over whether the promises have any chances of being fulfilled. They added that his agendas lacked significant details and that the proposals would need the approval of the legislature and the government.
