Zohran Mamdani made history when he won the November 4, 2025, election to become New York City’s first Muslim, first South Asian, and first African-born mayor. Newsweek polling results showed Zohran Mamdani won the election with 45% of the vote, defeating Republican Curtis Sliwa and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo. His election victory represents a significant political shift because he became a U.S. citizen just seven years before winning office.
The election broke past political boundaries to create a powerful statement about Muslim representation in New York City. At the same time, the city faced ongoing Islamophobia and funding threats from former President Donald Trump. Zohran Mamdani started his campaign as a progressive underdog, but his message attracted diverse young supporters and immigrant families from all five boroughs of New York City.
Embracing Identity in the Light
“I will no longer seek my identity in the shadows. I will embrace my identity in the light.”
Mamdani achieved his most critical point when he addressed the Islamic Cultural Center in the Bronx on October 24 to protect Muslims from religious discrimination by his opponents. The older Muslim community member whom Mamdani met during his first Assembly campaign six years ago instructed him to hide his religious beliefs. Mamdani announced to his supporters who stood outside the mosque that the time to hide one’s faith had come to an end.
The New York Times recorded Mamdani’s speech about Muslim suffering since 9/11 through his personal accounts about his aunt, who stopped using the subway because of hijab-related fears, and his friend, who became an informant through coercion. Mamdani described his lifelong experience of police monitoring since childhood while sharing his experiences of airport staff asking about his intentions because of his identity.
The Ugandan Roots That Shaped a Progressive Vision
Mamdani developed his political awareness during his childhood years in Kampala. The Associated Press interviewed Angelo Izama, who described Mamdani as a curious young man during his 2007 internship at the Daily Monitor newspaper in Uganda. Mamdani spent his evenings discussing the day's news with his father, who had secured him the internship to further his interest in current events.
The New York Times states that Mamdani first encountered social divisions between wealth and racial differences during his time in Africa, which still shapes his policy work and political views. Mamdani moved to New York with his family and spent his childhood in the Bronx, where he attended Bronx High School of Science before earning his degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College. During his time at Bowdoin College, Mamdani established a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, which proved his early commitment to activism.
Building Power from the Grassroots
Mamdani’s political career began with a stunning upset in the 2020 Democratic primary when he defeated five-term incumbent Aravella Simotas for the New York State Assembly. According to Dunya News TV, his grassroots activism made him “one of the first South Asian and Muslim lawmakers elected to state office”.
His mayoral campaign followed a similar trajectory. The Guardian reported that Mamdani won the June 25 Democratic primary through ranked-choice voting with 56 percent of the vote against Cuomo’s 44 percent, despite super PACs spending $25 million to support his opponent. NPR confirmed that the campaign built its strength through numerous volunteers and received crucial endorsements from Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Representative Ocasio-Cortez called Mamdani “a leader who listens to the working class,” according to Dunya News TV. His rallies attracted thousands of young voters and immigrant families, giving his campaign “a sense of movement rarely seen in local politics,” the outlet reported.
A Progressive Agenda That Challenged the Establishment
Mamdani based his platform on creating affordable housing for working-class people in New York City. His comprehensive plan aims to raise $9-10 billion through tax increases on corporations and individuals earning more than $1 million per year, according to CNBC. The news outlet reported that his progressive policies have triggered significant opposition from wealthy city residents and business organizations, who have dedicated more than $40 million to support Cuomo’s campaign against him.
Mujeeb Kazi from the North Texas Islamic Council told Context Corner during an interview that Mamdani stands out as a Muslim politician because he directly confronts existing power structures. “He has taken on the financial interests of multi-billionaires. Through direct language, he has clearly expressed his intentions to everyone,” Kazi explained. The community leader said that Mamdani runs a grassroots campaign against opponents who receive funding from wealthy donors. At the same time, his supporters consist of regular New York City residents who keep the city active throughout the day.
Mamdani spent his campaign time visiting mosques while releasing a video in Urdu about New York City’s rising living costs, according to the BBC. The message he delivered had its most tremendous impact among voters under 30 and women, who proved essential to his election success, according to ABC Australia.
National Implications and Global Resonance
Le Monde described the race as “the country’s most closely watched political drama” with “outsized importance in the United States and beyond”. Mamdani’s victory is part of a broader trend: at least 42 Muslim Americans won elected office across the United States in the November 4, 2025, elections.
In his victory speech, Mamdani issued a direct challenge to Trump. As reported by The Wire, he declared: “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him, and if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power. This is not only how we stop Trump, it’s how we stop the next one”.
His election has already triggered intense international attention. CNN reported that his victory was “seen as a seismic event in American politics,” particularly among South Asian communities in India who celebrated one of their own reaching such prominence. Artist Tanya Lalwani told CNN: “It’s truly wonderful to see someone of South Asian descent achieve this level of success”.
Facing Threats to His Citizenship
Mamdani faces citizenship challenges before he starts his mayoral term. The Republican Party supports taking away Zohran Mamdani’s U.S. citizenship through naturalization revocation, according to Al Jazeera. The Trump administration plans to use Zohran Mamdani as its example in immigration cases because he will become New York City’s next mayor, according to Axios.
The Justice Department received a June letter from Tennessee Republican Representative Andy Ogles, who requested denaturalization proceedings against Mamdani because he allegedly obtained U.S. citizenship through terrorist-related deception, according to PolitiFact. The arguments against Mamdani lack strength, as experts argue that his application would require deliberate false statements.