Zohran Mamdani makes history as New York City’s first Muslim and youngest Mayor

Zohran Mamdani, the Indian-origin Democratic lawmaker and community organizer, has been elected the next Mayor of New York City, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in one of the city’s most closely watched elections in decades.

With 83% of votes counted, Mamdani secured 948,202 votes — 50.6% of the total — while Cuomo, running as an independent, garnered 776,547 votes (41.3% ). Sliwa trailed with 137,030 votes. The New York City Board of Elections said nearly two million votes were cast — the highest voter turnout since 1969 — with Brooklyn recording the largest number of ballots.

The 33-year-old Mamdani’s victory marks a generational and cultural shift in New York politics. He becomes not only the city’s youngest mayor in decades but also its first Muslim leader — a milestone in a metropolis long seen as a symbol of diversity but where representation at the top has often lagged behind.

Campaigning on a promise to lower the cost of living for working-class New Yorkers, Mamdani tapped into deep frustration over housing costs, stagnant wages, and inequality. His campaign, rooted in grassroots activism, drew overwhelming support from young voters and working families across boroughs.

“Zohran Mamdani is running for Mayor to lower the cost of living for working-class New Yorkers,” his campaign had said, a message that resonated with a city struggling with soaring rents and economic uncertainty.

Born in Kampala, Uganda, to acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University scholar Mahmood Mamdani, Zohran moved to New York with his family at the age of seven. A community organiser before entering politics, he became a naturalised U.S. citizen in 2018 — a journey that has now taken him to City Hall as the face of a new, inclusive political era.