Mamdani’s journey from school elections to NYC mayor

Who would have thought that a boy from Uganda would become the New York mayor one day? Zohran Mamdani — a 34-year-old democratic socialist — shocked everyone and became the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of the biggest city in the United States.

Mamdani was virtually unknown before his upset victory to secure the Democratic nomination over former governor Andrew Cuomo, whom he trounced again on Tuesday.

Unlike his opponents, Mamdani focused on reducing living costs for ordinary New Yorkers, building support through his informal personal style and social-media-friendly clips of him walking the streets chatting with voters.

The son of a filmmaker mother and a scholar father, he arrived in New York at the age of seven. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and later earned a degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College, where he co-founded the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.

The mock-election

He was only twelve when he won his first election. Yes, his first — a mock mayoral election at Bank Street School for Children.

The mock election was meant for eighth-graders. Mamdani, who was in seventh grade at that time, asked the school to participate as a third-party. And when the results were announced, Mamdani wiped out the field.

Footballer and rapper

Mamdani’s childhood was a blend of train rides, football fandom, rapping, and political debates.

Before entering politics, he worked as a housing counsellor, helping low-income homeowners in Queens fight eviction.

The love life

Mamdani and his wife, 27-year-old Syrian-American animator and illustrator Rama Duwaji, met on the dating app Hinge in 2021, whom he credits with helping him “to better use social media”.

The improbable campaign

Inspired by Bernie Sanders to become a socialist, Mamdani began his mayoral campaign with a fresh perspective.

Along with in-person campaigning, he used social media platforms to build support through his informal personal style and friendly clips of him walking the streets chatting with voters.

The vote

On Election Day, Mamdani stood outside a polling station in Queens — the same borough whose tenants he once defended — and cast the vote that could make him the first Muslim mayor of New York City.

And finally, Mamdani, capping a meteoric rise from a little-known state lawmaker to one of the country’s most visible Democratic figures, won the New York City mayoral race.