Self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani could become New York City’s mayor after his shock win in the Democratic mayoral primary.
The 33-year-old candidate beat off competition from favourite Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor who was attempting to make a political comeback from a sexual harassment scandal.
If he were to win when New Yorkers head to the polls in November, Mr Mamdani would be the city’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor.
But how did he do it, what does he stand for and what is his background?
Born in Uganda, raised in New York
Mr Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, and was raised there and briefly in South Africa until he was seven years old, when his family moved to New York.
His mother, Mira Nair, is an award-winning filmmaker and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, is an anthropology professor at Columbia University.
He went to a public school and attended the Bronx High School of Science, before receiving a degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College, where he co-started the school’s first Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.
He became naturalised as an American citizen in 2018, and worked as a foreclosure prevention housing counsellor.
He says that job, which saw him help low-income homeowners of colour across Queens fight off eviction and stay in their homes, inspired him to run for office.
But he also took a detour into the rapping scene in the 2010s, going by Young Cardamom and later as Mr Cardamom.
He made a song called #1 Spice with the artist HAB for the 2016 Disney film Queen of Katwe, which was directed by his mother, while another song, Nani – a tribute to his grandmother – was released in 2019.
He was elected to the State Assembly in 2020, representing a district in Queens, becoming the first South Asian man to serve in the NYS Assembly, as well as the first Ugandan and third Muslim to ever be a member of the body.
How did Mamdani become a candidate for mayor?
The lawmaker and socialist entered the campaign as a virtual unknown, but his shrewd campaigning mixed with controversy surrounding Mr Cuomo saw him win comfortably.
The former governor was attempting to make a comeback from a sexual harassment scandal that saw him resign in 2021.
His resignation came after a report from the state attorney general concluded that he had sexually harassed at least 11 women. Mr Cuomo has said he did not intentionally mistreat the women but had run afoul of what was considered appropriate workplace conduct.
Despite the controversy, the 67-year-old was considered the favourite during the mayoral race due to his deep experience and the fact that he won the backing of some of the city’s biggest unions.
But Mr Mamdani and other candidates continued to use the allegations against Mr Cuomo as fuel during the campaign.
During the final primary debate, after Mr Cuomo and other candidates launched a series of jabs at him for his lack of political experience, Mr Mamdani said: “To Mr Cuomo: I have never had to resign in disgrace.
“I have never hounded the 13 women who credibly accused me of sexual harassment, I have never sued for their gynaecological records, and I have never done those things because I am not you, Mr Cuomo.”
Mr Mamdani declared victory in the mayoral primary on 24 June, with Mr Cuomo conceding the race after his rival took a commanding position just hours after polls closed.
The winner told the state: “I will be the mayor for every New Yorker, whether you voted for me, for Governor Cuomo, or felt too disillusioned by a long-broken political system to vote at all.
“I will work to be a mayor you will be proud to call your own.”
In the November election he will face current mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who is set to run as an independent following an uproar over his indictment on corruption charges last year (the charges were later tossed at the instruction of Donald Trump’s Department of Justice).
An energetic campaign with people at its heart
Mr Mamdani put cost of living concerns at the heart of his campaign.
Slickly produced social media videos set out his vision of free buses, free childcare, new apartments and a higher minimum wage – paid for by new taxes on the rich.
They have garnered him a following of more than 1.1 million on Instagram and roughly 400,000 on TikTok.
His optimistic vision of NYC’s future contrasted with Mr Cuomo’s campaign, which largely focused on his experience and his ability to deal with Donald Trump, as well as his goal to save a city that he described as out of control with crime and homelessness.
It earned Mr Mamdani the support of the party’s progressive wing, including prominent progressives like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders.
Critics have argued that he lacks the experience to handle crises, with Mr Cuomo claiming he was unqualified during the campaign.
“He’s been in government 27 minutes. He’s passed three bills. That’s all he’s done,” Mr Cuomo said of his rival during a debate.
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When another candidate questioned his experience, Mr Mamdani said he was the most qualified “because I believe the most pressing crisis we’re facing here is one of affordability, and that is something that my campaign has been laser-focused on”.
His critics have also suggested his hopeful visions are vague, and questioned the cost and feasibility of his proposals, many of which would need support from the state legislature and governor.
His campaign aimed to stay accessible. At the top of the manifesto on his campaign site, a sentence in bold reads: “New York is too expensive. Zohran will lower costs and make life easier.”
Strong support for Palestinians
Mr Mamdani has made his stance on the war in Gaza clear throughout his campaign, referring to Israel’s offensive as a “genocide” against Palestinians and voicing support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
He has also vowed to have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he were to come to the city, after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him last year.
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Asked during a debate about whether he thought Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state, he said “I believe Israel has the right to exist” but “as a state with equal rights” for people who aren’t Jewish.
On 19 June, police said Mr Mamdani had reported he had received “four phone voicemails, on various dates, making threatening anti-Muslim statements by an unknown individual”.
The New York Daily News reported that in one of the messages, a man threatened to blow up Mr Mamdani’s car.
Mr Mamdani’s campaign has said he is participating in the police probe.
