University of Kwazulu-Natal

Zohran Mamdani S Movement Victory Reshapes New York Politics

Bonisiwe Shabane
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zohran mamdani s movement victory reshapes new york politics

A data-driven look at the coalition, turnout, and affordability agenda that defeated a billionaire-backed machine and what it means for governing. Zohran Kwame Mamdani’s win in the New York City mayoral race marked a singular moment in municipal politics. The Associated Press called the race roughly half an hour after polls closed, and more than 2 million voters cast ballots, a level of participation not seen since 1969. In different tallies reported election night, Mamdani led by nine points with most votes counted and, in the final three-way breakdown, secured 50.4 percent to Andrew Cuomo’s 41.6 percent, with Curtis Sliwa just over... The state assemblymember from Queens will be the city’s first Muslim mayor and one of the few openly socialist politicians to lead the nation’s largest city. His campaign rose from 1 percent in early polls to a decisive victory built on a working-class ground game, a multilingual appeal, and a platform centered on affordability.

At his victory party in Brooklyn, Mamdani framed his mandate in stark class terms. “The working people of New York have been told by the wealthy and the well-connected that power does not belong in their hands,” he said. He continued with a description of who that power should serve: “Fingers bruised from lifting boxes on the warehouse floor; palms calloused from delivery bike handlebars; knuckles scarred with kitchen burns—these are not hands... And yet, over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it…We have toppled a political dynasty.” The campaign’s promise was concrete and repeatedly distilled into a few repeatable commitments.

Leading a call and response, Mamdani told supporters, “Together, New York, we’re going to freeze the… [rent!] Together, New York, we’re going to make buses fast and… [free!]Together, New York, we’re going to deliver... “This is part of a lifelong struggle,” he told volunteers. “Not an electoral one. You have joined a movement for the rest of your life. Now, however you want to be a part of that movement is your decision, just as long as you continue to be a part of it.” Those lines captured how a campaign that began without media attention or establishment support became a mass operation.

The 11,000-member New York City Democratic Socialists of America served as the core of a turnout program that, according to campaign figures, marshalled 104,400 volunteers and knocked on 3 million doors. Outreach was multilingual and personal, from a get-out-the-vote video series in Arabic, Spanish, Urdu, and Hindi to speeches that named the workers the campaign aimed to represent. “I am young. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this,” Mamdani said in his victory speech.

He cast the coalition as a full reflection of the city’s working class: “Thank you to those so often forgotten by the politics of our city, who made this movement their own. I speak of Yemeni bodega owners and Mexican abuelas. Senegalese taxi drivers and Uzbek nurses. Trinidadian line cooks and Ethiopian aunties.” It was the hottest day in New York City in over a decade on June 24. Yet the streets everywhere — from Jamaica and Jackson Heights in Queens to Kensington and Park Slope in Brooklyn — were lined with campaign workers, volunteers and even elected officials urging voters to cast...

Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist and state assembly member from Astoria, Queens, was poised to challenge Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York and candidate of the Democratic Party establishment. Cuomo had been the front-runner for most of the race, but in the final days, polls showed Mamdani narrowing the lead down to a 1% margin. Despite an unprecedented spike in early voting — the number of voters across Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan who cast their ballots before election day more than doubled compared to the city’s last mayoral election... Yet it was barely 90 minutes after the polls had closed when Cuomo — whom The New York Times had predicted up until last week would win the election by 10 points — conceded... It was a moment many in New York (and beyond) were waiting for, but that no one knew would come so quickly. “Is he really going to win?” seemed the unifying sentiment for many New Yorkers, both online and in real life.

Mamdani did not take the stage at his watch party in Long Island City, Queens, until well after midnight. In a 20-minute victory speech, he reaffirmed his promise to provide a stable life to all New Yorkers and vowed to “reject Donald Trump’s fascism [and] to stop masked ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]... Mamdani’s grassroots campaign, which was powered by close to 50,000 volunteers who knocked on 1.5 million doors in New York City over eight months — many of them woke at dawn to arrive at... and stayed there until after 9 p.m., braving the 100-degree heat — defied the odds and achieved what until recently was deemed impossible. Updated on: November 5, 2025 / 11:32 AM EST / CBS New York Mamdani promised to bring New York City into an age of "relentless improvement" as he claimed victory in the mayoral race late Tuesday night.

He said his win was one for the working people of New York and reiterated his campaign promises on affordability. "Let the words we've spoken together, the dreams we've dreamt together, become the agenda we deliver together," Mamdani said. "New York, this power, it's yours. This city belongs to you. Thank you." To watch his full victory speech, click here.

In March, I dined with a Zohran Mamdani supporter who asked me if he had a chance. I said no—the machines and money are way too strong. This week, Mamdani did the unthinkable and upended a household name known for decades, backed by Wall Street and the infamous Queens party leadership, in a victory that already reshapes New York City politics... In some ways, the stage was set by a number of factors–from economics to demographics–for a talent like Mamdani to do precisely this. The 33-year-old tapped into what Epicenter NYC has been encountering among New Yorkers since our founding in the pandemic, exactly five years ago, and a similar reality that propelled Donald Trump into a second... Bottom line: I was wrong.

Over the last few weeks, as it became clear that this candidate stood a chance, I began observing what enabled Mamdani to essentially make history: As a once-rapper and the son of the acclaimed director Mira Nair, Mamdani’s comfort in front of the camera—not just at the dais like most politicians—worked in his favor. Social media, many of us have written, cannot win elections at the local level, where issues are more nuanced and don’t fit the extremes and polarized content favored by platforms such as Facebook. And yet Mamdani adopted a tactic on social more akin to content creator, capturing footage as he talked to average New Yorkers and the small donors who fueled his base. Unlike the Kamala Harris campaign, which frustrated influencers by trying to control their message (and phones) at the Democratic National Convention, Mamdani leveraged them to showcase his own authenticity. Check him out on “Subway Stories” with Kareem Rahma and then walking a portion of Upper Manhattan with The Kid Mero, the internet-famous Dominican American, for flawless examples that helped draw new voters into...

Get weekly highlights, major headlines, and expert insights — then put your knowledge to work in our live prediction markets. Beyond the Epstein Files: Trump's Public Record on Women and the Politics of Character UK politics: Government says it is ‘fully committed to free speech’ after campaigners’ US visa ban – as it happened Government says it is ‘fully committed to free speech’ after campaigners’ US visa ban – UK politics live Two British anti-hate speech campaigners sanctioned by US state department – UK politics live Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has won NYC’s primary election by promising radical economic changes for city residents.

His victory marks a remarkable political upset. Mamdani edged past his opponent after polling at just 1% support five months ago. His popularity soared as support jumped from 22% to 32% in a single month, with voters under 50 backing him by a 2:1 margin. Mamdani’s bold economic policies struck a chord with workers, young people, and middle-class voters in one of the world’s costliest cities. His platform’s centerpiece is a rent freeze plan that would help over 2 million tenants in rent-stabilized apartments who face rising costs and displacement. He supports a new minimum wage law to boost NYC’s wage floor to $30 an hour by 2030.

The candidate’s transportation strategy builds on fare-free bus programs that boosted ridership by more than 30%. His economic agenda calls for higher taxes on corporations and wealthy residents. The plan includes a 2% flat tax on New York’s households earning more than $1 million yearly. Critics have challenged these proposals, but Mamdani’s platform has united a broad coalition of voters, including thousands from New York’s 1.2 million Jewish residents. His win has altered the map of NYC’s political scene, as economists and voters analyze what his economic reforms could mean for the city’s future. Zohran Mamdani took a decisive lead in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary.

He secured 43.5% of first-choice votes while former Governor Andrew Cuomo trailed at 36.4%. This upset ranks among the biggest political surprises in NYC’s modern history. Nobody knew much about this 33-year-old state assemblyman when the race started. Yet he built a powerful grassroots campaign that beat Cuomo’s well-oiled political machine. His team of 50,000 volunteers hit the streets hard and knocked on about a million doors citywide. This energetic ground game made all the difference.

His message strongly connected with:

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