It is America’s biggest election day since Donald Trump re-entered the White House.
While governor races in Virginia and New Jersey might prove to be the most consequential for the United States’ political landscape, New York City’s mayoral race has become one of the most closely watched battles.
In a country where both Congress and the Senate are under Republican control, a self-described Democratic socialist could emerge as the city’s next mayor.
Zohran Mamdani has run his campaign on openly left-leaning policies and candid interview appearances, all while utilising an enterprising social media campaign.
Victory for the state assemblymember would make him New York’s first Muslim mayor and first of Indian descent, as well as its youngest leader in generations.
Monday evening’s polls now tip Mamdani as the lead runner against his two opponents: independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
But the 34-year-old lawmaker’s road to mayordom is not clear-cut, as he faces criticism over his stances on Israeli policies and personal wealth accumulation, as well as condemnation from US President Donald Trump as a “communist lunatic”.
From ‘Young Cardamom’ to Democratic mayoral pick
Born in Uganda, Zohran Mamdani was the only child of Mahmood Mamdani, an academic who taught at Uganda’s top public college, and Mira Nair, an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker.
His family settled in New York when he was seven. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Africana studies in 2014, Mamdani worked as a home foreclosure specialist in the New York borough of Queens, assisting lower-income homeowners with eviction notices.
In 2016, Mamdani started producing hip-hop music under the name Young Cardamom. Releasing songs in both English and languages spoken in Uganda, he curated the soundtrack for his mother’s Disney-produced film Queen of Katwe.
His time working as a home foreclosure specialist soon saw the music producer turn his attention to politics, as he looked to address New York’s affordability crisis.
Naturalised as a United States citizen in 2018, Mamdani became the representative of New York’s 36th State Assembly district in 2020.
It was a close win over five-term Democratic incumbent Aravella Simotas by 346 votes, but the lawmaker was re-elected without opposition in 2022 and 2024.
In October last year, Mamdani announced his mayoral candidacy, running on a campaign of radical changes to address economic inequality.
He was considered an outsider by most when competing against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic Primary.
But to the surprise of all his opponents, Mamdani achieved a major upset in July, beating Cuomo by nearly 10 percentage points.
Mamdani’s opposition
Mamdani now faces former Governor Cuomo in a generational battle between Democrats, with Republican Curtis Sliwa hoping for a massive upset.
Cumo, an ex-New York governor, has long been a fixture in the state’s politics, now running as an independent candidate in this mayoral race.
However, in 2021, he was forced to resign from office, following a report from the attorney general that concluded that Cuomo had sexually harassed at least 11 women.
Cuomo initially apologised for some of his behaviour, saying he had fallen out of step with what is considered appropriate workplace conduct, but has become more defiant in recent months, calling his accusers liars and blaming his downfall on political adversaries.
Republican Curtis Sliwa is trying to land his own massive upset, facing tough odds as a Republican in a heavily Democratic city.
The creator of the Guardian Angels crime patrol group and a longtime New York tabloid fixture, a win for the 71-year-old would put a Republican in charge of the nation’s largest city at a time when many New Yorkers are seeking a leader who can keep President Donald Trump at bay.
Trump himself dismissed Sliwa as “not exactly prime time”, but he has ignored pressure from within his own party to suspend his campaign and create a one-on-one race between Cuomo and Mamdani.
A self-proclaimed democratic socialist, Mamdani is running on an unapologetically left-wing campaign, describing himself as “Trump’s worst enemy”.
He has promised to raise taxes on the richest New Yorkers and use the money to make city buses free and provide free, universal child care. He also promised to freeze rent for people living in about one million rent-regulated apartments.
Progressive to a fault?
Cuomo is counting on support from moderates and Republicans to win. He hopes incumbent Mayor Eric Adams’ late exit from the race and eventual endorsement will give him a boost.
Mamdani’s policies, while popular with working-class individuals, have spooked some business leaders and voices in the Jewish community, who may support Democrats but oppose Mamdani’s past statements about Israel.
Mamdani has won over many progressive Jewish voters with vows to make the city more affordable, yet he has alarmed those more conservative with comments such as comparing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to genocide.
Mamdani has said he would direct the city’s police department to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York on charges brought by the International Criminal Court.
Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, who leads Central Synagogue in Manhattan, criticised Mamdani by saying his words “contributed to a mainstreaming of some of the most abhorrent antisemitism”, but declined to endorse the other candidates.
Mamdani has tried to distance himself from some of his past rhetoric. In 2020, he was among several New York Democrats advocating for slashing the police department’s budget following the killing of George Floyd, but now says defunding the police doesn’t represent his current agenda.
He also faced criticism from comments after his appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, where he said that in an economically just world, “I don’t think that we should have billionaires.”
He’s now said that as mayor, he would work with billionaires to solve New York City’s most pressing issues.
However, his previous comments mean some top New York Democrats remain concerned and have either been slow to endorse him or outright refused to.
Relationship with Trump
President Trump was quick to brand Mamdani as a “communist lunatic” shortly after his Democratic primary win.
On Monday, the eve of ballot boxes opening, the president backed his long-time rival Cuomo in the mayoral race.
In his endorsement, the US president said the Democratic primary would bring “disaster” to the city, going so far as to encourage Republican Sliwa backers to vote for Cuomo instead.
“Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!” Trump added.
Mamdani later criticised the “MAGA movement’s embrace” of Cuomo, also taking aim at Elon Musk’s support for Cuomo.
Trump has already levied a barrage of threats against the city and Mamdani himself if he wins the mayoral election.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said New Yorkers have “no choice” but to vote for Cuomo, reiterating a threat to withhold federal funds from the city if Mamdani wins.
The president has also threatened to arrest the state assemblymember if he blocks ICE (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents from making arrests in the city.
Mamdani has described Trump’s ICE raids as “fascist” and has vowed to push back against the administration.
At his final rally on Monday, he promised to resist Trump’s funding threat and added, “It is time to finally stand up to the bullies that make these threats.”
The polls for the mayoral election are open in New York until 9pm local time.
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