Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani poses for a photo, during the New York City mayoral election, at the PS 20 The Clinton Hill School, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, U.S., November 4, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
(New York, NY) – In a result that was widely anticipated for months, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani had been projected as the winner of the New York City mayor’s race. The State Assemblyman from Queens had been leading in the polls for months. He engineered a shock win over Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary this summer, leaving him as the presumptive favorite in the general.
Mamdani has been described as a communist or Marxist by many. He’s proposed free buses and city-run grocery stores. Mamdani has also vowed to freeze rent increases for rent-stabilized apartments.
A dual citizen of Uganda, Mamdani is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Some have criticized him as anti-Semitic, and he’s admittedly very anti-Israel.
In previous years, Mamdani expressed support for the “defund the police movement,” but has since walked back that stance. He went to lengths to meet with cops and set their concerns at ease. Reports have suggested he plans to keep NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch in her position. But he’s also vowed to end the prosecution of misdemeanors, and favors legalized sex work.
Business experts have said Mamdani’s election will spell trouble for financial markets. Some surveys have said people will move out of New York City in droves, which would negatively impact the tax base — and Mamdani’s ability to engineer socialist policies.
