By Agencies
NEW YORK |Ugandan-born Zohran Mamdani has made history as the newly elected Mayor of New York City, marking a groundbreaking moment for diversity and progressive politics in the United States.
The 34-year-old son of renowned Ugandan scholar Prof. Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair won the election by a decisive margin, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
His victory makes him the first Muslim and first African-Asian mayor to lead America’s largest metropolis.
“Every New Yorker, whether you voted for me, for one of my opponents, or felt too disappointed by politics to vote at all—thank you for the opportunity to prove myself worthy of your trust,” Mamdani said in his victory speech at a jubilant rally in Queens.
“So Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up. We have toppled a political dynasty.”
Born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1991, Mamdani spent his early childhood in Africa before moving to New York at age seven.
Educated in the city’s public schools, including Bronx High School of Science, he later earned a degree in African Studies from Bowdoin College. School supplies
His political journey began in grassroots activism — from helping low-income families avoid foreclosure to running local campaigns for underdog progressives.
In 2020, Mamdani shocked the Democratic establishment when he unseated a five-term incumbent to win a seat in the New York State Assembly, representing Astoria, Queens.
Throughout his campaign, Mamdani emphasized affordable housing, public transit reform, and solidarity with marginalized communities, including strong support for Palestinian rights — a stance that drew both admiration and fierce criticism.
Despite being outspent by more than $40 million, his message of equity and working-class empowerment resonated across the five boroughs, propelling him to City Hall as the 111th Mayor of New York.
Mamdani’s father, Prof. Mahmood Mamdani, is a globally respected Ugandan academic and author of Citizen and Subject, a seminal work on colonial legacies in Africa.
His mother, Mira Nair, is the award-winning filmmaker behind Monsoon Wedding and The Namesake. Together, they raised Zohran between Uganda, South Africa, and the U.S., shaping his cosmopolitan worldview and passion for justice.
As dawn broke over New York City, thousands celebrated in the streets, hailing Mamdani’s victory as a triumph of pluralism and hope.
“The sun may have set over our city this evening,” Mamdani told supporters, quoting socialist leader Eugene Debs, “but I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.”
His election ushers in a new era of inclusive leadership, rooted in both Ugandan resilience and New York grit.
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