Socialist contender Zohran Mamdani surges in New York mayoral primary

Uganda-born state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, 33, has emerged as a leading contender in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary, drawing enthusiastic support from younger progressives. 

Mamdani gained national attention with engaging video explanations of ranked-choice voting in Hindi and Urdu and a sharp critique of Andrew Cuomo, whom he compared to a "Bollywood villain." 

According to CNN, Cuomo conceded on Tuesday night, though finalisation will await the full allocation of ranked-choice ballots.

Mamdani's platform centres on bold, left-leaning policies: a rent freeze affecting nearly 1 million rent-stabilised residents, free city bus transit, universal childcare, and city-subsidised grocery stores. He plans to fund these initiatives through higher taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers, though significant tax policy changes rest with state, not municipal, authority. Governor Kathy Hochul has expressed reservations, warning the measures could prompt resident outflow to lower-tax states like Florida.

Key endorsements and fundraising success have bolstered his campaign. Mamdani has courted widespread grassroots support, raising around USD$7 million through small donations and volunteer efforts.

Zohran Mamdani reacts next to his mother, filmmaker, Mira Nair and wife Rama Duwaji during a watch party for his primary election, which includes his bid to become the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor in the upcoming November 2025 election, in New York City, US, June 25, 2025. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado

He has received high-profile endorsements from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Bernie Sanders, and the United Auto Workers. 

AOC declared, "This race is not just symbolic about the future of New York City, this race is symbolic about the future of our country. For so long we have had political leadership… that has just wanted to play it safe."

But establishment Democrats have voiced concerns. Centrist think tank Third Way cautioned that a Mamdani victory could have negative repercussions for the broader Democratic Party, even suggesting it might "hurt Democrats" nationally. 

Cuomo, pointing to Mamdani's perceived inexperience and radical platform, warned that Donald Trump would exploit any left-of-centre position ruthlessly, likening Trump's potential impact to "a hot knife through butter".

Mamdani consistently pushed back on Cuomo's record, particularly concerning the sexual harassment allegations, "I've never had to resign in disgrace… I have never hounded the 13 women who credibly accused me of sexual harassment… I am not you, Mr Cuomo."

Foreign policy has also featured prominently in the debate. 

Zohran Mamdani reacts as he walks during a watch party for his primary election, which includes his bid to become the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor in the upcoming November 2025 election, in New York City, US, June 25, 2025. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado

Mamdani has referred to recent Israeli actions as "genocide" and defended the slogan "globalise the intifada" as a call for Palestinian human rights. He explained to CNN that the phrase, rooted in the meaning of "uprising" used during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, is misunderstood and that his stance is fundamentally about universal human rights and fighting all forms of hate, including antisemitism and Islamophobia. 

His office has proposed bolstering the city's anti-hate crime budget by 800%.

While some community leaders and the Holocaust Museum criticised his phrasing as inflammatory, Mamdani expressed deep emotion at public scrutiny and online threats, clarifying, "It pains me to be painted as if I am somehow to the very Jewish New Yorkers that I know and love that are such a key part of this city. When I speak, when I speak with emotion I am characterised by rivals as being a monster. I get messages that say, 'The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim.' I get threats on my life, on the people that I love."

Civil rights concerns have also extended to federal affairs; Mamdani denounced recent US airstrikes on Iran as, "a new, dark chapter in his [Trump's] endless series of betrayals."

"While Donald Trump bears immediate responsibility for this illegal escalation, these actions are the result of a political establishment that would rather spend trillions of dollars on weapons than lift millions out of poverty, launch endless wars while silencing calls for peace, and fearmonger about outsiders while billionaires hollow out our democracy from within," he said in a statement.

Mamdani's candidacy signals a shifting political landscape in New York City - one that reverberates far beyond city limits.