In the recent 2025 Mayoral election, the Democratic nominee and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Zohran Mamdani, won the race and has become the next mayor of New York City. He is set to enter office and begin his term on January 1st, 2026.
Mamdani has had a unique journey to the position of mayor. He was born in Uganda, moved to Cape Town, South Africa, before finally moving to New York City. Mamdani has said himself that he considers his upbringing “privileged”.
For a time, Mamdani was actually a rap music artist. In 2016, he made a name for himself under the moniker Young Cardamom. He has released several songs, such as “No going back to the village” and “Kanda [Chap Chap]”.
A former mentor of Mamdani, Beyanga, has come out and stated how Mamdani has not let politics change him, “Nothing has changed. His heart is with the people, and I don’t think that will change,” he continues, “I’ve seen other outlets calling him populist and opponents giving him all sorts of names. I see a man after the heart of serving people, serving the down-trodden people in society. And hey, that doesn’t come far away from who he is. He is a Ugandan boy, and the Ugandan boy cares for the people.”
The response to Mamdani’s election has been mixed. As he is a Muslim, there is some tension between him and the Jewish community due to the current conflicts in the Middle East and ideological differences between the religions. Those on the left are mostly in support of Mamdani, while those on the right are generally against him, which is standard for the two-party system.
Mamdani will be in office at the start of next year, and we will see then if he will fulfill the promises he made during his campaign.
