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Zohran Mamdani | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 18, 1991 Kampala, Uganda |
| Political orientation | Democratic socialism |
| Political party | Democratic |
Zohran Kwame Mamdani (born October 18, 1991) is an Statesian politician who has served as the 36th district member of the New York State Assembly since 2021 and is the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City in the 2025 election. A member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Mamdani ran on a progressive platform of policies such as freezing rents and affordable housing, fast, free buses, no cost childcare and city-owned grocery stores.[1] In the short term Mamdani's policies may alleviate the conditions of the proletariat in New York, however, due to the limits of bourgeois institutions Mamdani can achieve no lasting change and his progressive policies will be undone by future administrations.
After winning the Democratic nomination, Mamdani shifted to the right in order to placate the bourgeoisie and the Democratic Party. He has made reassurences that he will not seriously challenge bourgeois interests and has gained the endorsements of right wing Democrats such as Kathy Hochul, as well as supposed progressives like Bernie Sanders and AOC.[2] Admidst Donald Trump's threats against Venezuela, Mamdani declared Cuba and Venezeula to be dictatorships, assisting efforts at consent manufacturing, though he also condemned the blockade of Cuba.[3]
Early life[edit | edit source]
Zohran Kwame Mamdani was born on October 18, 1991 in Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda.[4] He is the only child of Indian-Ugandan post-colonial Marxist scholar Mahmood Mamdani and progressive filmmaker Mira Nair.[5] His father gave him the middle name Kwame after Kwame Nkrumah, the first Ghanaian President, which Mamdani claims has instilled in him the values of Pan-Africanism.[4]
Mayoral Platform[edit | edit source]
- Housing: He plans to freeze rents for the over 2 million people who live in rent stabilized apartments. Additionally he plans to build affordable housing, crack down on bad landlords, end deed theft and fix the property tax system.[6]
- Affordability: He plans to open low priced, city owned grocery stores as well make buses both faster and free. Mamdani also plans on introducing a range of child welfare benefits, including free childcare and baby baskets with essential supplies for newborns.[6]
- Labor: Mamdani says he will support workers and unions in their fight for better wages and working conditions. Specifically, he plans to raise the minimum wage to $30 by 2030 as well as regulate delivery apps and protect delivery workers.[6]
- Budget: To fund his policy plans, Mamdani plans to tax the wealthy by introducing a 2% on those earning more then $1 million a year and increasing corporate tax from 7.25% to 11.5%.
- Climate: As Mayor Mamdani plans to lead a large decarbonization and climate resilience program citywide; building renewable housing and overseeing a climate prepareness program. In additions to infrastructure, Mamdani plans to renovate 500 public schools with renewable energy and HVAC upgrades.[6]
- Minority rights: Mamdani says he will ensure immigrants are protected and remove ICE from the city. He will also make New York a LGBTQIA+ sanctuary city, protect reproductive rights as well as expand and protect gender-affirming care citywide.[6]
Israel[edit | edit source]
Mamdani has been known for being hightly critical of "Israel" and has condemed the apartheid system and Israeli war crimes as well as supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.[7] Unlike most high profile politicians, Mamdani has stated he believes that Israel is committing a genocide[8] and has said he would arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he entered New York.[9] For his stance he has earned the ire of Zionists and is regularly falsely accused of being antisemitic, despite proving himself not to be a radical by condeming the start of Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa as "a horrific war crime".[7]
Mamdani become famous for his promise to stay in New York instead of flying off to Tel Aviv during the Democratic primary debates, he has since pivoted on his stances on "Israel" since winning the primary. In a event with CEOs, he told that he would “discourage” use of ‘intifada’ after listening to Jewish leaders,[10] even though 'intifada' is merely Arabic for 'uprising' and not an antisemitic phrase, even so far as having been used in the Arabic translation of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising exhibit in the U.S. Holocaust Museum. In an MSNBC interview with Al Sharpton, Mamdani talked about the "complexities of viewpoints" when referring to the Gazan genocide.[11]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Monica Moorehead (2025-07-01). "Zohran Mamdani’s victory: What we know and don’t know" Workers World. Archived from the original on 2025-07-04.
- ↑ Erik Schreiber (2025-10-28). "At election rally, DSA candidate Mamdani embraces right-wing Democratic Party establishment" WSWS. Archived from the original on 2025-11-26.
- ↑ “I want to be clear on where I stand. I believe both Nicolas Maduro and Miguel Diaz-Canel are dictators. Their administrations have stifled free and fair elections, jailed political opponents, and suppressed the free and fair press. And yet, our federal government's long history of punitive policies toward both countries, including extrajudicial killings of Venezuelans and the continuation of a decades long blockade of Cuba, have only worsened these conditions. Democratic socialism is about dignity, justice and accountability. And above all, it's about building a democracy that works for working people, not one that preys on them.”
Alicia Civita, Matias Civita (2025-09-25). "Mamdani Breaks Silence About Maduro and Cuban President Díaz-Canel: How Jorge Ramos and Daughter Paola Got Him to Open Up" Latin Times. Archived from the original on 2025-10-01. - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mona Davids (2024-10-26). "Ugandan-Born Zohran Mamdani Announces Candidacy for Mayor of New York City" Little Africa News. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27.
- ↑ "Mahmood Mamdani education and career path: How Mamdani's father built a legacy of revolution through ideas and exile" (2025-06-25). The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2025-08-21.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "The Platform". Zohran for New York City. Archived from the original on 2025-09-05.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tom Allon (2025-06-30). "Opinion: Weaponizing antisemitism is dirty politics" City&State New York. Archived from the original on 2025-07-06.
- ↑ Liam Stack (2025-06-25). "Mamdani Has Long Criticized Israel. His Opponents Attack Him for It." New York Times. Archived from the original on 2025-09-04.
- ↑ Lisa Featherstone (2025-07-15). "All the Worst People Are Losing It Over Zohran Mamdani’s Win" Jacobin. Archived from the original on 2025-08-27.
- ↑ “Few events got as much attention as the closed-door one with the CEOs, hosted by the Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit business leadership group. In a conference room floating above the city and stocked with a spread of cookies, fruit, and cheese, Mamdani was not swarmed for selfies upon entry, as he usually is these days. He did a fireside chat and Q and A, during which he was grilled about his thoughts on the “globalize the intifada” brouhaha.
To the CEOs, however, Mamdani said he would discourage the use of the phrase—a small but pointed evolution in language. In our interview, Mamdani frames the shift as the consequence of listening to New Yorkers, including Jewish leaders, as well as a rabbi who said the phrase evoked memories of bus bombings in Haifa. “The job of the mayor is to deliver for New Yorkers,” he says. “And it’s also to take care of New Yorkers.””
Mark Chiusano. ‘A Politics of No Translation.’ Zohran Mamdani on His Unlikely Rise Time. - ↑ "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, ZOHRAN!??" (2025-09-09).