In the elections, Mamdani defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who, running as an independent, garnered 41.6% of the votes with 88% of ballots counted. Republican Curtis Sliwa received 7.2% of the votes.
Zokhran Mamdani will be sworn in on January 1, 2026. He will become not only the youngest mayor of New York in the last century (he is 34 years old), but also the first Muslim to hold this position, as well as the first mayor of South Asian descent in the city's history.
“I may be young, but I’m not going to apologize for my identity. I am a Muslim and a democratic socialist,” Mamdani stated in his speech.
In the lead-up to the elections, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut funding to New York if a majority of voters chose Mamdani. In response, Mamdani urged Trump to "hear" his words.
“New York is a city of immigrants, and now, starting tonight, it is led by an immigrant. So, President Trump, to get to us, you will have to go through all of us,” he emphasized.
The main goal of Mamdani's program is to combat the cost of living crisis. As part of his initiative, he proposes to introduce a tax on the wealthiest, ensure free and convenient bus transportation, freeze rental rates, and provide free preschool education for children up to five years old.
Zokhran Mamdani has immigrant roots: he was born in Uganda to a family of Indian descent. His mother, Mira Nair, is a renowned Indian-American filmmaker, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a scholar from Uganda. When Zokhran was five years old, his family moved to South Africa, and two years later they settled in New York. In 2018, he obtained U.S. citizenship. In early 2025, Mamdani married artist Rama Duvaji, who has Syrian roots. Mamdani's political career began in 2015, and in 2020 he was first elected to the state legislature.
