Zohran Mamdani facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zohran Mamdani
Mamdani in 2025
Mayor-elect of New York City
Assuming office January 1, 2026
Succeeding	Eric Adams
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 36th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2021
Preceded by	Aravella Simotas
Personal details
Born	(1991-10-18) October 18, 1991 (age 34) Kampala, Uganda
Citizenship	Uganda United States
Political party	Democratic
Other political affiliations	Democratic Socialists of America Working Families
Spouse	Rama Duwaji ​ (m. 2025)​
Parents	Mahmood Mamdani (father) Mira Nair (mother)
Education	Bowdoin College (BA)
Signature

Zohran Kwame Mamdani (born October 18, 1991) is an American politician. He is the mayor-elect of New York City. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He also belongs to the Democratic Socialists of America. From 2021, he served in the New York State Assembly. He represented the 36th district, which includes Astoria in Queens.

Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda. His parents are academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair. His family moved to South Africa when he was five. They then moved to the United States when he was seven. They settled in New York City. Mamdani went to the Bronx High School of Science. He earned a bachelor's degree in Africana studies from Bowdoin College in 2014.

Before becoming a politician, Mamdani worked as a housing counselor. He also made hip-hop music. He first won election to the New York State Assembly in 2020. He was reelected in 2022 and 2024. In October 2024, Mamdani announced he would run for mayor of New York City. He won the Democratic primary election. He then won the general election on November 4, 2025.

Mamdani's campaign focused on making New York City more affordable. He supported ideas like free city buses and public child care. He also wanted city-owned grocery stores and a rent freeze. He supported more affordable housing and a higher $30 minimum wage by 2030. Mamdani became the first Indian American and first Muslim mayor-elect of New York City. He is also the city's youngest mayor since 1892.

Early Life and Education

Mamdani was born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda. He is the only child of academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair. His father gave him the middle name Kwame. This was to honor Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first president. Both of his parents have Indian roots. His mother is a Punjabi Hindu. His father is a Gujarati Muslim.

Mamdani lived in Kampala until he was five years old. Then, his family moved to Cape Town, South Africa. He attended St. George's Grammar School there. His family later moved to New York City when he was seven. He grew up in Morningside Heights. He described his childhood as "privileged." He knew that many New Yorkers did not have the same advantages.

Mamdani attended the Bank Street School for Children. There, he won a middle school mock election. His platform included "equal rights" and focusing on education. In 2003, he returned to Kampala for a year for school. His grandparents and aunt helped care for him there.

In 2010, Mamdani graduated from the Bronx High School of Science. He helped start the school's first cricket team. He also played soccer. He then went to Bowdoin College in Maine. He helped start a student group called Students for Justice in Palestine. He graduated in 2014 with a degree in Africana studies.

Before running for office, Mamdani worked as a housing counselor. He helped immigrant homeowners in Queens. He assisted them with eviction notices. This experience made him want to work in politics. He wanted to help solve housing and affordability problems.

Music Career

Mamdani enjoys hip-hop music. He has written and produced rap songs. In 2016, he used the name Young Cardamom. He worked with Ugandan rapper HAB on an EP called Sidda Mukyaalo. This means "No going back to the village" in Luganda. They performed at the Nyege Nyege festival that year. Their first song, Kanda [Chap Chap], was about chapati. They rapped in English and Luganda.

In 2019, Mamdani released a song called "Nani." He used the name Mr. Cardamom. This song honored his maternal grandmother. Cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey played his grandmother in the music video. Mamdani also helped create the soundtrack for his mother's 2016 film, Queen of Katwe. He was nominated for an award for his work on the film's music. He also had a small role in the movie.

Early Political Work

Mamdani first got involved in New York City politics as a volunteer. He worked on Ali Najmi's campaign in 2015. In 2017, he joined the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). He worked for New York City Council candidate Khader El-Yateem. Mamdani also managed Ross Barkan's campaign for the New York State Senate in 2018. He was also an organizer for Tiffany Cabán's 2019 campaign.

New York State Assembly (2020–2025)

Mamdani at a rally in Bryant Park, October 27, 2024

In October 2019, Mamdani announced his plan to run for the New York State Assembly. He wanted to represent the 36th district in Queens. The DSA supported his campaign. He focused on housing reform, police reform, and public ownership of utilities. In June 2020, he won the primary election. He defeated the five-term incumbent, Aravella Simotas. He won the general election in November without Republican opposition. Mamdani was reelected in 2022 and 2024.

Mamdani is part of the DSA's "State Socialists in Office" group in New York. He is also a member of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York. He spoke at the 2023 DSA convention. He said that DSA elected officials are special because of their organization.

As of 2025, Mamdani was a member of several Assembly committees. These included the Committee on Aging and the Committee on Cities. He also served on the Committee on Election Law and the Committee on Energy. He was part of various legislative caucuses.

Mamdani was the main sponsor of 20 bills in the Assembly. Three of these bills became law. He also co-sponsored 238 bills. As an Assembly member, Mamdani helped start a successful program for free bus rides. He also joined a hunger strike to support taxi drivers.

New York City Mayoral Campaign (2024–2025)

Zohran for NYC

Candidate	Zohran Mamdani
Affiliation	Democratic

On October 23, 2024, Mamdani announced his plan to run for mayor of New York City. His platform included support for free city buses. He also wanted a rent freeze for rent-stabilized homes. Mamdani proposed that the city government run five grocery stores. This would help lower food prices. His plan also included universal child care. He wanted to build 200,000 new affordable homes. He supported public safety reform. He also pushed for a $30 minimum wage by 2030. His platform called for higher taxes on large companies. It also suggested higher taxes for people earning over $1 million each year.

For most of the primary campaign, Mamdani was behind former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in polls. However, a poll before the June 24 primary election showed Mamdani had caught up. On election night, Mamdani had a big lead over Cuomo. Cuomo then conceded the race. On July 1, the Associated Press announced Mamdani had won the primary. This was seen as a big surprise.

Mamdani was elected mayor on November 4, 2025. He became the city’s youngest mayor since 1892. He is also the city’s first Muslim mayor.

Political Ideas

Mamdani speaking at a DSA meeting in NYC, November 11, 2024

Mamdani's campaign ideas are similar to those of past New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia. They also resemble ideas from former U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt. Experts say his policies are like those of mainstream center-left parties in other countries. Mamdani identifies as a democratic socialist. He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He is also called a progressive.

Influences on His Views

Mamdani says his parents helped him become interested in politics. They often talked about world events at home. He was inspired by Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign. This led him to become a democratic socialist. He also looks up to early 20th-century American "sewer socialists." These include Daniel Hoan and Victor L. Berger. Mamdani has been compared to socialist New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia. He also admires Boston mayor Michelle Wu and Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott. He often praises Wu for her policies, like free public transit.

Economic Plans

Mamdani supports economic and housing changes. These changes aim for fairness and affordability. He wants to help taxi medallion owners with their debt. He also supports stronger rent control and more tenant protections. He plans to create a Social Housing Development Agency. This agency would build 200,000 affordable homes in 10 years. He also wants to build more housing near public transport.

Mamdani wants to raise the city's minimum wage to $30 by 2030. He also proposes increasing taxes on large companies and high earners. These funds would help pay for tuition-free college at CUNY and SUNY. They would also fund universal childcare and free public transit. He supports a city-run grocery program to lower food prices.

Mamdani plans to cut taxes for homeowners in outer boroughs. He wants to raise taxes on expensive homes in wealthier areas. This would fix an old law that taxed properties unfairly.

Social Issues

Mamdani supported Proposal 1 in 2024. This change to the Constitution of New York made it illegal to discriminate. It protected people based on ethnicity, age, disability, and other factors. Mamdani's campaign focused on fighting wealth inequality and racism. He supports the New York Health Act. This act would create single-payer healthcare in New York State.

Protecting the Environment

Mamdani believes that protecting the environment is important for fairness. In 2021, he worked to stop a gas power plant from expanding in Astoria. He was concerned about the environment for low-income communities. Mamdani also supported state laws like the All-Electric Buildings Act. This law stops new buildings from using fossil fuels. He also supported charging fees for driving in Manhattan. This would help reduce pollution from traffic.

As a mayoral candidate, Mamdani proposed a plan for a greener city. His "Green Schools" plan would update 500 public school buildings. They would get solar panels and better heating and cooling systems. He also wants to create 500 green schoolyards. These would turn asphalt into green spaces. He plans to make 50 schools into year-round shelters. These would help during extreme weather.

Childcare and Education

Mamdani supports a system for universal pre-kindergarten childcare. He has suggested giving all new New York City families "baby baskets." These would contain items like diapers and nursing supplies. Mamdani introduced a bill to remove tax breaks for New York University and Columbia University. He wants to use those funds for the City University of New York system.

In a June 2025 interview, Mamdani spoke about Hasidic yeshivas. These are Jewish schools. He said he would listen to their leaders on education. He promised to protect their way of life.

Supporting Immigrants

Mamdani supports New York's sanctuary laws. These laws stop immigration officers from entering schools or hospitals without a warrant. He wants stronger sanctuary laws. He has also proposed creating a group to ensure city agencies follow these rules. He promised that the city would provide legal help for all immigrants in detention.

Equal Rights for All

Mamdani supports equal rights for all people. He wants to make New York City a safe place for everyone. He plans to create an Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs. This office would help provide services and support for all New Yorkers. Mamdani believes his plans to lower living costs would help people who become homeless.

Mamdani appeared at a rally in February 2025. He protested an order that could affect healthcare access. As part of his plan, he supports expanding and protecting healthcare citywide. He proposed investing $65 million in public healthcare providers. This would ensure funding for medical treatments.

Improving Transportation

Mamdani supports making bus fares free forever. He pushed for a fare-free pilot program on some MTA bus routes. This program started in September 2023. It led to a 30% increase in ridership. It also saw a drop in assaults on bus operators. The program ended in August 2024. Mamdani believes it would cost New York City $650 million per year to make all bus fares free.

In December 2022, Mamdani introduced bills called "Fix the MTA." He proposed free bus travel over four years. He also wanted to freeze fares at $2.75. Another idea was to use money to make trains and popular bus routes more frequent.

In 2023, Mamdani helped introduce a bill for a weight-based vehicle fee. This would encourage people to own lighter cars. It aims to make streets safer. Mamdani supports congestion pricing in New York City. He also drafted a bill to improve bus service and increase free bus routes.

Personal Life

Mamdani is a dual citizen of Uganda and the United States. He became a U.S. citizen in 2018. He is a Shia Muslim and follows the Twelver branch. In 2021, Mamdani met animator and illustrator Rama Duwaji. They got engaged in October 2024. They had a private nikah ceremony two months later. They were married in February 2025 at New York City Hall. The couple lives in Astoria, Queens. Besides English, Mamdani can speak Hindi–Urdu, Bengali, Spanish, and Arabic.

Electoral History

New York State Assembly Elections

New York City Mayoral Election

See also

In Spanish: Zohran Mamdani para niños

• Indian Americans in New York City
• List of Democratic Socialists of America public officeholders
• Ugandan Americans