Zohran Kwame Mamdani, born in Uganda in 1991, is an American politician and current New York State Assembly member for Astoria, Queens, who is now the Mayor-elect of New York City. The son of academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair, he immigrated to the U.S. as a child, eventually settling in New York City, and later entered politics as a Democratic Socialist. Having served in the State Assembly since 2021, Mamdani secured an upset victory in the 2025 mayoral election, notably defeating Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary.
His campaign centered on an ambitious affordability-focused platform, advocating for fare-free city buses, public childcare, city-owned grocery stores, a rent freeze, and a $30 minimum wage by 2030, funded by increased taxes on corporations and high earners. Mamdani will make history when he assumes office on January 1, 2026, becoming the city's first South Asian, first Muslim, and first Millennial mayor-elect.