Zohran Mamdani made history as the first Muslim nominee for the New York City mayor after winning the Democratic mayoral.
According to BBC, with 95% of ballots counted, the 33-year-old left behind former governor Andrew Cuomo, 43% to 36%, in the Democratic primary with strong grassroots support and his bold agenda.
Mamdani told supporters, “Tonight, we made history. In the words of Nelson Mandela, It always seems impossible until it’s done. My friends, it is done. And you are the ones who did it. I am honoured to be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York City.”
The victory of the state assemblyman over Cuomo, who resigned from the governor post after sexual harassment allegations in 2021, marked a shift in the city's political centre of gravity.
Who is Zohran Mamdani?
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1991 and moved to New York at the age of seven. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and completed a degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College.
The American politician also co-founded Bowdoin College’s campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.
He is married to a 27-year-old Brooklyn-based Syrian artist, Rama Duwaji. His mother, Mira Nair, is a celebrated film director, and his father, Professor Mahmood Mamdani, teaches at Columbia. Both of his parents are Harvard alumni.
Before politics, he worked as a housing counsellor, helping low-income homeowners in Queens fight eviction.
Notably, if elected, Mamdani would be the first Muslim and a South Asian mayor ofNew York City.
