Zohran Mamdani: The rising star of New York City

On the 1st of January 2026, Zohran Mamdani was inaugurated as the mayor of New York City. In a country run by Donald Trump and plagued by ICE raids, New Yorkers went against the grain by choosing a Muslim, African-born man of Asian descent as their mayor. The success of his mayoral campaign highlights the stark contrast in political ideologies that currently divide the ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ states in the USA. While Mamdani, who was not born in America, can never be the President, it doesn’t mean his win can’t revive a stale Democratic Party and usher in a new era of American politics. 

Before announcing his campaign for mayor, Mamdani was a relatively unknown state assemblyman. With previous mayor Eric Adams having record-low approval ratings and New Yorkers growing tired of the same old politicians, it was the perfect time for a fresh face to enter the mayoral race. Especially since he was running against two public figures – Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, Mamdani stood out as an unestablished politician with strong character and confidence. This, combined with Mamdani’s strategically organised political campaign, provided exactly what the citizens of NYC needed: a politician they could actually relate to. 

Mamdani’s campaign took the approach of mass engagement, using a hybrid strategy that mixed online campaigning and door-to-door engagement. The campaign focused on building familiarity with the voters. People couldn’t imagine Andrew Cuomo waiting for an MTA bus or dealing with the subway rats. So, Mamdani’s campaign was built on showing people that he has dealt with these day-to-day problems, and that he was committed to fixing them. Mamdani also built familiarity by showing voters that he was a ‘true New Yorker’, sharing little anecdotes about how his favourite deli is in Queens, or that he met his wife on Hinge. This built a strong rapport with voters, enabling him to stand out from the rest because of his bubbling online popularity and his relentless in-person canvassing. 

Once he officially became the Democratic candidate, his strong ideologies were what propelled him to victory. Many politicians avoid mentioning the idea of socialism, thinking that it will alienate centrist voters and lower their chances of winning. However, Mamdani took a brave stance, publicly marketing himself as a democratic socialist. Democratic socialism is rooted as an ideology that opposes capitalism, focusing on the workers instead of corporations. He openly expressed his plan to fund free MTA buses by increasing taxes on the rich. Moreover, Mamdani planned his campaign around affordability and housing, two of the biggest issues facing New Yorkers today. By committing to a plan aligned with democratic socialism, Mamdani’s campaign gained momentum with middle-class and young voters who were voting for a better quality of life. 

While it’s far too early to debate what’s in store for NYC’s future and if Mamdani’s time as mayor will be an overall success, the new mayor has already made steps to follow through on his campaign promises. During his first day in office, Mamdani created two task forces aimed at achieving his main campaign goals: new housing developments and cheaper rent. Mamdani also clamped down on the health and safety levels of homeless shelters, giving officials less than two months to get the shelters up to par. Most importantly, Mamdani has introduced a series of hearings where tenants can testify on their living conditions, allowing officials to crack down on negligent landlords. 

However, with promises of higher taxes, big corporations will begin to consider leaving NYC in favour of lower-taxed cities. While the people of New York may be rejoicing at the moment, Mamdani has to be prepared to pivot from the original plan if he cannot gain sufficient funding from taxing corporations and the top 1%. Moreover, corporations leaving NYC will increase unemployment and reduce the city’s income. It’s a delicate balance, providing for the people while still maintaining strong relationships with the corporations. While Mamdani seems popular with the people, gaining over 50% of the votes in the mayoral election, it still remains to be seen how corporations will react to the new mayor’s policies. 

Despite this, the excitement about Mamdani’s election win is a reminder to American politicians that the voters want representatives who will work for the people, not the corporations. It also highlights an important issue in modern-day politics where politicians are more focused on winning recognition with high-level donors than with the voters. In the current political state, you need to be known in the industry, have strong connections and big-name endorsements to win an election. It takes away from the true nature of elections, picking a representative who is willing to fight for the people. The best mayors aren’t going to be the ones who have high-level campaign donors and friends in Washington DC, they are the ones who live in the city and see the day-to-day issues the citizens actually face. 

For now, it remains to be seen if Zohran Mamdani can truly take NYC to new heights. However, his success, initially seen as a complete surprise, is actually a sign that voters are growing tired of conformity and the lack of progress in politics. Voters are looking for politicians willing to make big changes and take powerful stances, signalling the end of the centrist era of American politics and a new era with an ever larger political divide. 

• election
• mamdani
• mayor
• nyc
• politics
• Zohran Mamdani