Zohran Kwame Mamdani, a 33-year-old New York State Assembly member representing Queens, has emerged as a prominent figure in the 2025 New York City mayoral race. Born in Kampala, Uganda, on October 18, 1991, to Mahmood Mamdani, an Indian-born Ugandan Marxist scholar and professor at Columbia University, and Mira Nair, an Indian-American filmmaker, Mamdani's background is as diverse as the city he aspires to lead. His family moved to Cape Town, South Africa, when he was five, and then to New York City when he was seven. He is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science and Bowdoin College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Africana Studies. Mamdani became a naturalized American citizen in 2018. In early 2025, he married Syrian artist Rama Duwaji; they reside in Astoria.
Mamdani's political journey began as a foreclosure prevention housing counselor, assisting low-income homeowners of color in Queens. This experience exposed him to the harsh realities of the housing crisis and fueled his decision to run for office. He volunteered for several local campaigns before winning the 2020 Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 36, which encompasses Astoria and Long Island City in Queens. He assumed office in 2021 and was re-elected unopposed in 2022 and 2024.
As a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Mamdani champions progressive policies focused on housing reform, police and prison reform, and public ownership of utilities. In the Assembly, he is a member of the "Socialists in Office" bloc and serves on key committees, including those focused on aging, cities, election law, energy, and real property taxation. He has sponsored 20 bills, three of which have been signed into law.
Mamdani's mayoral campaign centers on addressing the city's affordability crisis and creating a more equitable New York for working-class residents. His platform includes bold proposals such as free city buses, a rent freeze for rent-stabilized housing, city-owned grocery stores to combat food deserts, and universal childcare. He advocates for raising the minimum wage in New York City to $30 per hour by 2030 and supports increasing taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers to fund tuition-free CUNY and SUNY schools, universal childcare, and expanded tenant protections. He also aims to triple the City's production of permanently affordable, union-built, rent-stabilized homes.
Mamdani has secured endorsements from prominent progressive figures, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and organizations such as the Working Families Party. His campaign has garnered significant grassroots support, with thousands of volunteers and strong fundraising numbers.
Mamdani's candidacy has also sparked debate on issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and has introduced legislation to bar New York charities from funding illegal Israeli settlements. While he affirms Israel's right to exist, he emphasizes the importance of upholding universal human rights.
If elected, Mamdani would be the first Muslim mayor of New York City. His campaign represents a new generation of leadership focused on addressing the needs of working families and challenging the political status quo. He is currently polling second, just behind front-runner and former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
