Mamdani’s Mayoral Victory: What’s Next For New York City?

By Charlotte Smith -

The US elected its first-ever Muslim and South Asian Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, to New York City on November 4th. Utilising social media to promote his campaign, Mamdani successfully attracted a large number of Gen Z and working-class voters, which enabled him to win the electoral vote. 

Mamdani secured the mayoral title with 50.4% of the vote, drawing his strongest support from Upper Manhattan and Northern Brooklyn, along with growing a growing allegiance across the Bronx. Meanwhile, standing as an independent, Andrew Cuomo, found his base in South Brooklyn and Staten Island, but his 41.6% share of the overall vote wasn’t enough to overtake Mamdani.

“New York will remain a city of immigrants: a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant”.
- Zohran Mamdani

Mamdani’s campaign centred around affordability and housing in NYC, with specific policies such as a free citywide bus service, stricter accountability policies for negligent landlords, and a 2% tax for residents earning over $1 million per year.

A large part of the campaign's success can be attributed to Mamdani’s focus on speaking at respected music venues across NYC, a manifesto in Spanish and even a Pink Pantheress concert appearance. His journey into politics has been unconventional, thus capturing public attention. His career path includes his days as a housing counsellor supporting low-income homeowners facing eviction in Queens, as well as his time as the rapper Young Cardamom in the 2010s

The question now is, how has the public reacted to Mamdani’s victory?

I spoke to NYC resident, Sophia Orjuela, who said, “My fellow New Yorkers and I celebrated that night; we had people dancing in the street everywhere. Thank god he won because it feels like we haven’t caught a break”.

“I think his being muslim is so significant. Along with his strong opinions against Trump, which he isn’t scared to voice. The only way I will allow myself to think is that his agenda is realistic, and he has a very motivated city behind him”. 
- Sophia Orjuela

Speaking on how promising Mamdani’s manifesto is for New York City and America as a whole, Sophia said, “You won’t meet many people here who aren’t supporting him. It will be hard, but if it can happen anywhere, it’s this city before anywhere else”.

President Trump, who had endorsed Cuomo in the NYC elections, coined Mamdani, "the communist" future of the Democratic Party. Since taking office, Trump has used his federal power to challenge Democrat led cities by tightening immigration enforcement, while his administration has slashed billions of dollars in funding, hitting New York significantly. Mamdani’s campaign focuses on housing, infrastructure and social equity, directly challenging the financial policies that have drained the resources of New York City. 

Speaking to THE I Paper, Green Party Leader, Zack Polanski said, “I think it’s amazing news for anybody that cares about hope, and I think that hope has triumphed over hate”.

 “This resonates across the world - this is about improving people's lives, recognising the equality that lies at the heart of New York but frankly around much of the world”. 
- Zack Polanski

As Mamdani steps into office, New Yorkers and the rest of the world will watch to see if the promises in his manifesto of affordability, inclusivity and accountability will become reality. Mamdani’s win marks both a milestone in New York’s political history and signals a shift towards progressive politics.