Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary race for New York City mayor on Monday, making him the favorite candidate. Mamdani is seen by many New Yorkers as the most progressive candidate, relying on a major push from volunteers, celebrities, and influencers.
Mamdani has also become known for being a vocal critic of Israeli policies and an advocate for Palestinian rights, leaving members of the city’s large Jewish community feeling vulnerable.
Born in Uganda to Indian parents, at 33, Mamdani is one of the youngest candidates for New York mayor in history, only beaten by Hugh Grant, who became mayor at 30 in 1889. He is a Shia Muslim, a Twelver, and if he wins, he will become the city’s first Muslim mayor as well as its first millennial mayor.
Mamdani is a State Assembly member for New York’s 36th District, representing neighborhoods in Queens, where he was raised. He has focused on housing and transportation reform, having introduced 20 pieces of legislation, though only three became law. Mamdani has made waves in the New York political scene for refusing to say whether he supports the existence of the State of Israel and for supporting phrases such as “Globalize the intifada.”
His support for Palestine is a long-time belief and one he has actively campaigned on. Following the October 7 Hamas attacks, Mamdani condemned Israel’s military response and joined protests calling for a ceasefire. Rather than condemning the attacks, he criticized those attacked.
He has also said he would arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he came to New York City, despite there being no arrest warrant for Netanyahu in the US, during an interview with Mehdi Hasan. Mamdani reaffirmed this later, saying that it would be in line with international law, despite the US not being a signatory to the Rome Statute under which the ICC issued its arrest warrant.
While still at university, he co-founded its local chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and spent time organizing and setting up a variety of events for the cause, according to the university paper.
His stance is also held by his family; his mother, Mira Nair, declined an invitation as a guest of honor to the Haifa Film Festival in 2013, saying she did not want to support Israel’s “apartheid” policies.
Globalize the intifada
Mamdani drew controversy when he defended the use of the phrase “Globalize the intifada” as “a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.”
The Jewish community and Jewish institutions, including the US Holocaust Museum, roundly condemned these comments.
Mamdani has repeatedly stated that he denounces antisemitism and that he feels accusations against him are being used as a political weapon to discredit him. He has positioned himself as an anti-status quo candidate, contrasting himself with former governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned amid scandals.
Mamdani critiques Cuomo’s political experience, highlighting his own record of not being involved in corruption or scandal. On his platform, Mamdani included proposals to make New York City more affordable by freezing rents, offering free public transportation, establishing city-owned grocery stores, providing free childcare, and focusing on mental health and crisis response over heavy reliance on the police.
His proposals have both been lauded and criticized, with New Yorkers and politicians calling out holes in his pitches. The Free Press reported on Tuesday that Mamdani’s housing plan would eat away at New York City’s entire budget in a single action.
Mamdani has garnered endorsements from progressive politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders. His campaign has been notable for the large number of volunteers and high volume of donations, with contributions from over 20,000 individual donors.
His campaign has gained significant momentum, partly due to his strong online presence and virality on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. It has been described as having the largest volunteer operation in NYC history, with 27,000 volunteers.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.