On November 4, 2025, it was announced that Zohran Mamdani had historically won the New York City mayoral race. The 34-year-old politician will soon become the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century and the first Muslim to run the city. Mamdani defeated his two opponents, Andrew Cuomo (Independent) and Curtis Sliwa (Republican), by a landslide. Mamdani received 50.4% of the vote, beating Cuomo by just under 10%, who secured 41.6% of the vote.
Earlier this year, Cuomo lost to Mamdani in the Democratic Primaries. However, Cuomo did not want to stop his campaign there, so he chose to run as an Independent. The race was tight. Sliwa, known for his iconic Guardian Angels red beret and his footing as a “real New Yorker,” had been consistently down in the polls and had been encouraged to drop out to give Cuomo a chance in beating Mamdani. The polls were relatively accurate this year, as Sliwa ultimately received merely 7.1% of the vote and did not have even a remote possibility of defeating either of his opponents. “A vote for Sliwa is a vote for Mamdani” was a common phrase used by Cuomo supporters during the campaign.
Mamdani is undoubtedly a highly controversial politician. He started from nothing and immigrated from Uganda, moving to New York City with his family at age 7. He recently served as a N.Y. State representative for his neighborhood of Astoria in Queens, but beyond that, he has little political experience. Mamdani has been criticized for his young age (which he has clapped back at with remarks such as “I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older”), lack of experience (which he has also snapped back at by saying to Cuomo that “what I don’t have in experience, I make up for in integrity”), views on the Israel-Hamas conflict (by refraining from denouncing Hamas), and his status as a Democratic-socialist.
Many Jewish New-Yorkers have highly criticized Mamdani and his plans for the city. He has been labeled as an antisemite amongst many Jews nationwide. Mamdani claimed that Israel is committing a genocide targeted towards Palestinians, exercised support for the BDS Movement (which calls for a cultural, social, and political boycott of Israel), and has refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which essentially translates to a revolt against the Jewish people. The “intifadas” refer to two violent Palestinian rebellions that occurred in the late 1990s and early 2000s, uprisings that killed thousands of innocent Jews.
Zach Sage Fox, a Jewish content creator living in Manhattan, went viral on social media for his videos urging people to vote against Mamdani. In one particular notable video, he can be seen holding a cardboard cutout of Mamdani and referring to it as his “friend.” He visited various businesses, including fast-food chains and pizzerias, asking if his so-called “friend” would be qualified to work there. Fox shared Mamdani’s resume, which he claimed consisted only of an internship with his mother and a failed career as a rapper. Mamdani’s lack of work experience was blasted at by Curtis Sliwa, who mocked that it could “fit on a cocktail napkin.”
But most New Yorkers voted for the charismatic candidate because he offered new yet easily understood ideas. Similar to the candidates in the New Jersey gubernatorial race — which you can read more about in The Echo — Mamdani focused his campaign on making the city more affordable. He plans to implement numerous reforms, including freezing the rent for a portion of the population, creating government-run grocery stores, and increasing taxes on those who make over $1,000,000 a year. Others, however, view these implementations as unrealistic and dystopian-like, arguing that similar measures were attempted under mayors like De Blasio—and failed.
Mamdani also has openly condemned President Trump, who has previously referred to Mamdani as a “communist.” When Mamdani stepped to the podium to accept his victory, he pledged that New York City will be a “city of immigrants”. He highly disagrees with the President in regards to his position on the subject matter, and has openly denounced the actions of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), calling the organization “one that has no interest in laws, no interest in order.”
Moreover, Mamdani took a new approach to his campaign: he appealed to the young. As Election Day neared, he thoughtfully connected with voters, offering a fresh and youthful perspective. Mamdani attracted the public with small but powerful actions: he regularly posted on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, directly interacted with the average New Yorker by taking the subway to a mayoral debate, and held a free sports tournament in collaboration with a local soccer club.
Mamdani will not officially take office until January 1, 2026. Although some feel overjoyed about his triumph while others are deeply discouraged, all we can do is wait. One thing is certain, however: a change will be coming to New York City.
