A year of Trump

The character

Who is Zohran Mamdani, the new face of the left in New York

With his direct style, idealistic drive and enthusiastic support of young people, Mamdani won the New York City Democratic primary and could become the first Muslim mayor of the largest city in the US

by Silvia Martelli

25 June 2025

Zohran Mamdani durante le elezioni primarie il 25 giugno 2025. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado

4' min read

Key points

From Uganda to Queens: a life between continents and communities
Fast political rise
A programme to "liberate New York"
The power of social and volunteering
Controversies and Challenges
New York's first Muslim mayor?

4' min read

At the age of 33, Zohran Mamdani has achieved a feat few thought possible: beating former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York. It was a triumph that not only propelled him to city hall in the most populous city in the United States, but also signalled a profound change within the Democratic Party. Mamdani capitalised on the energy of the left, the frustration of the younger generation and the power of social media, becoming the symbol of a new politics.

From Uganda to Queens: a life between continents and communities

Zohran Kwame Mamdani was born in Uganda in 1991 into a family with a strong intellectual imprint. The son of the well-known Ugandan political scientist Mahmood Mamdani and the acclaimed film director Mira Nair, his childhood is marked by travel, global perspectives and a multi-centred cultural background. At the age of seven, he moved with his family to New York, a city that has since become his point of reference.

Raised in the Astoria neighbourhood of Queens, Mamdani grew up in a multi-ethnic, working-class environment that shaped his political outlook. After graduating from Bowdoin College with a degree in African Studies, he worked as a foreclosure prevention counsellor, helping low-income homeowners - particularly African-Americans and Latinos - not to lose their homes. It was in this context that his political vocation was born: 'I saw the concrete effects of inequality every day,' he recounted. "It was impossible to remain neutral".

A rapid political rise

Mamdani entered politics in 2020, winning a seat in the New York State Assembly as the representative for the 36th district, which includes Astoria, Ditmars-Steinway and Astoria Heights. His message, radical but empathetic, began to resonate with voters, especially young people. Identifying himself as a democratic socialist, Mamdani joined the left wing of the party, finding support in the social justice movements that erupted after the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd.

In the 2025 mayoral primary, many considered him an outsider. But his campaign, based on social media, door-to-door mobilisation and the support of progressive bigwigs like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has overturned the predictions.

A programme to 'liberate New York'

His unofficial slogan has become 'Abolish the cost of living'. In fact, Mamdani's programme aims to directly address the most problematic spillovers of urban capitalism. Among the main proposals are rent freezes for tenants of stabilised housing; free public transport, particularly on buses; free public day-care centres for all children under six; municipal supermarkets selling at wholesale prices; and a gradual increase in the minimum wage, with a target of $30 an hour by 2030.

To finance these measures, Mamdani proposes a heavier taxation of high incomes and corporations: an 11.5 per cent tax rate for corporations and a 2 per cent tax for citizens with incomes above USD 1 million per year.

"This is not about pipe dreams," he said in a viral video. "It's about political choices. And today, in New York, we are choosing to put people first."

The power of social and voluntary work

Much of Mamdani's success can be attributed to a direct and effective communication strategy, especially on social media. His Instagram feeds with AOC, viral TikTok videos, and collaborations with celebrities such as Emily Ratajkowski and Bowen Yang, have resonated with younger voters. The campaign was entirely funded by micro-donations, a testament to its independence from big donors and lobbying interests.

According to the organisation Our Revolution, founded by Bernie Sanders, over 60,000 messages were sent to voters on behalf of Mamdani in the days leading up to the vote. A grassroots mobilisation unprecedented in the city's recent political history.

Controversies and Challenges

But Mamdani is no stranger to controversy. His uncompromising stance in favour of Palestinian rights led him to refuse to condemn the slogan 'Globalise the intifada', stating that it expresses 'a desperate demand for equality and human rights'. A statement that divided the public: for some a courageous act of solidarity, for others a phrase laden with ambiguity and potential incitement.

Andrew Cuomo attempted to use these statements - along with Mamdani's relative administrative inexperience - to delegitimise him. "He only passed three bills in the Assembly," Cuomo said during a debate. "Trump would tear him apart." But the former governor's attacks ended up reinforcing Mamdani's image as an establishment challenger.

New York's first Muslim mayor?

Pending official confirmation of the results - which will only come after the reallocation of votes via the ranked-choice voting system - Mamdani already looks like the big winner. If elected, he will become the first Muslim mayor in the history of New York City, a symbolic fact in a metropolis that is home to one of the largest Islamic communities in America.

More than just an outsider, Mamdani represents a new way of doing politics: less tied to palace games, closer to the streets, to concrete needs, to the language of young people. But now that he has won the primaries, an even greater challenge awaits him: governing a complex and divided city, transforming promises into reality, and keeping alive the enthusiasm that has brought him this far.