Zohran Mamdani launches bid to become NYC's first South Asian mayor

NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Democratic Socialist assemblyman from Queens, has entered New York City's mayoral race, aiming to become its first Muslim and South Asian mayor.

Born in Kampala, Uganda, to an Indian-origin Columbia University professor father and filmmaker mother, Mira Nair, Mamdani moved to New York at the age of seven and has been serving in the New York State Assembly since 2021.

Backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), he has emerged as a grassroots favourite with a campaign rooted in affordability, accessibility, and community-driven governance.

He also picked up a key endorsement from US Republican Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who said in a statement that the state lawmaker “has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack.”

In a newly released campaign video posted to Instagram, Mamdani takes a unique and culturally rich approach, blending serious policy messaging with reenactments of iconic Bollywood scenes. He thanked his donors for raising $8 million and knocking on more than 600,000 doors.

"We are on the brink of electing the first South Asian mayor in New York history," Mamdani says in the video. "But it's not about who I'll be — it's about what I'll do. I'm going to make this city affordable."

He also outlined his key policy proposals, promising a rent freeze, universal childcare, free public buses, and more affordable groceries, addressing what he describes as a crisis in the basic affordability of food, clothing, and shelter for working-class New Yorkers.

Mamdani also used the video to educate voters about New York’s ranked-choice voting system.

In New York’s ranked-choice voting system, all first-choice votes are counted first. If a candidate receives more than 50% of those, they win outright.

If no one gets a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their supporters’ votes go to their next choice. This process continues in rounds until only two candidates remain.

In the final round, the candidate with the most votes wins. Your vote moves to your next preferred candidate only if your higher choices are eliminated, according to NYC's official election board website.

“The more people you rank, the more power your ballot and voice have,” he explained in the video.

The democratic socialist also urged voters to rank him first, and also support Brad Lander, Adrienne Adams, and Zellnor Myrie, while issuing a strong warning against former governor Andrew Cuomo.

The son of a former governor, Cuomo served as the US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and New York attorney general before becoming the state’s governor in 2011.

He resigned in 2021 after a sexual harassment scandal and is now staging what was once thought to be an unlikely political comeback. He is running a campaign focused on improving the management of the city, addressing mental health issues and “combating anti-Semitism”.

“This is a guy whose campaign is funded by Trump donors. If he wins, they won’t just control DC, they’ll control New York,” Mamdani warned.

In the Democratic primaries, the two frontrunners are Cuomo and Mamdani.

Also running on the Democratic side are city comptroller Brad Lander; New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams; former comptroller Scott Stringer; State Senator Jessica Ramos; State Senator Zellnor Myrie; Michael Blake, a political consultant and former state legislator; and Whitney Tilson, an investor.

Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is running as an independent after the scandals and investigations that have plagued his tenure.

Early voting starts on June 14, and the primary election is on June 24. The general election will be on November 4.