New York to have its first Muslim mayor

Zohran Mamdani, 34, has scored a decisive victory in New York’s mayoral election held on Nov. 4, according to preliminary unofficial results, winning 50.4% of the vote. His two main rivals — Republican Curtis Sliwa and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as independent candidates — received 7.1% and 41.6% of the vote respectively.

When Mamdani announced his intention to run for mayor of the U.S. largest city in October 2024, few believed he could succeed. Now he is being hailed as a rising star in U.S. politics, and his following continues to grow, DW.com reports.

“New York will remain a city of immigrants — built by immigrants, moved forward by immigrants, and from today, led by an immigrant,” Mamdani said in his first address.

Mamdani was born in Uganda to parents of Indian descent. His mother, Mira Nair, is a film director, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a scholar. When Zohran was five, the family moved from Uganda to South Africa, and two years later settled in New York. He became a U.S. citizen in 2018.