--- title: What to Know About New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran description: Zohran Mamdani is poised to become the Democratic nominee in New York City’s mayoral election, following Andrew Cuomo’s concession. canonical: https://time.com/7296925/zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayoral-primary/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-06-23T20:47:03.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-11T01:00:42.076Z article:section: Politics og:title: What to Know About New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani og:description: Zohran Mamdani is poised to become the Democratic nominee in New York City’s mayoral election, following Andrew Cuomo’s concession. og:url: https://time.com/7296925/zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayoral-primary/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8a841a5989dd72f/6998c7bcc8dcb43e70b503fb/GettyImages-2214145068.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: USA-NY-ZOHRAN-RALLY-BROOKLYNSTEEL-2025 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What to Know About New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani twitter:description: Zohran Mamdani is poised to become the Democratic nominee in New York City’s mayoral election, following Andrew Cuomo’s concession. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8a841a5989dd72f/6998c7bcc8dcb43e70b503fb/GettyImages-2214145068.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What to Know About New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=db7ba10f-2878-45be-b7a8-57710d3668a4&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Jun 23, 2025 8:47 PM UTC  New York Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani waves to the crowd during his first campaign rally at Brooklyn Steel in Brooklyn on May 4, 2025. New York Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani waves to the crowd during his first campaign rally at Brooklyn Steel in Brooklyn on May 4, 2025. Madison Swart—Hans Lucas/AFP by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Jun 23, 2025 8:47 PM UTC [Zohran Mamdani ](https://time.com/7297431/zohran-mamdani-cuomo-concedes-new-york-city-democratic-mayoral-primary/)is set to become the Democratic nominee in New York City’s upcoming mayoral election, following former Governor [Andrew Cuomo](https://time.com/6089503/andrew-cuomo-quits/)’s concession late Tuesday night. Cuomo, who had led in early polling, ended his campaign as preliminary ranked-choice results showed Mamdani with a likely irreversible lead. The result marked a significant political upset, capping a race in which Mamdani steadily closed what was once a substantial polling gap. **Read more:** [_Zohran Mamdani’s Upset Is a Seismic Moment for the Left_](https://time.com/7297429/zohran-mamdani-victory-democratic-socialist/) He will now face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, enters the race weakened by ethics scandals and [an indictment](https://time.com/7024580/eric-adams-new-york-indictment-federal-charges-corruption-investigation/) that have marred his time in office. Mamdani, who serves as a state Assemblymember, presented himself as an anti-status quo alternative to Cuomo and an opponent of [President Donald Trump](https://time.com/7297832/trump-zohran-mamdani-reaction-communist-lunatic/). Born in Uganda and raised in New York City, the 33-year-old vowed to be ["Donald Trump’s worst nightmare”](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qOm8ZSeZOyg) as a “progressive Muslim immigrant.” If elected, Mamdani would be the first South Asian and first Muslim to lead the city. ## **Mamdani’s political history** Mamdani is in his third term representing New York’s 36th Assembly District, which includes the New York City neighborhoods of Astoria, Ditmars-Steinway, and Astoria Heights. In his time in the Assembly, Mamdani has focused primarily on housing and transportation reform, having championed 20 pieces of legislation, only three of which have become law. Still, he has been praised by progressive voters for the ambition of his bills. He has also engaged in activism while in office. In 2021, he participated in a [15-day hunger strike](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPdzm%5FyqAWU) in support of New York City taxi drivers. After 15 days, the taxi drivers struck a deal with officials to help rescue the thousands of workers from their crushing loans. In 2023, he [participated in a five-day](https://www.instagram.com/p/C0XrG7NM3vQ/) hunger strike for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza. During the campaign, he was accused of anti-semitism regarding his fierce criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza, and Cuomo [all-but-outright called](https://www.politico.com/newsletters/new-york-playbook/2025/04/02/cuomos-most-important-issue-00265484) Mamdani’s lack of support for Israel anti-semitism. Mamdani has said in response that the accusation“pain\[s\]” him. “I’ve said at every opportunity that there is no room for antisemitism in this city, in this country. I’ve said that because that is something I personally believe,”[ he told reporters during a media event.](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLD4lS%5FOYMB/) Mamdani also came under scrutiny from his opponents, particularly Cuomo, for his comparatively sparse political experience, with the former Governor saying during the first debate that “inexperience is dangerous.” Yet Mamdani treated his staying out of the political world as a positive, [posting to his social media](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLN5B0AuI4o/) that he is “proud” he doesn’t have “Andrew Cuomo’s experience of corruption, scandal and disgrace.” Cuomo [resigned](https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-resigns-17161f546bb83c32a337036ecf8d2a34) as Governor in 2021 amid a mounting sexual harassment scandal after more than a dozen women made allegations against him. Days before his resignation, the state attorney general’s office released [a report concluding](https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2021.08.03%5Fnyag%5F-%5Finvestigative%5Freport.pdf) that he had sexually harassed current and former government employees and created “a hostile work environment for women.” Cuomo has denied the most serious accusations against him, though he [apologized](https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/03/politics/andrew-cuomo-harassment-press-conference) for making women “feel uncomfortable.” Cuomo also came under fire for withholding data about the number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes. In the debate, Mamdani responded to Cuomo’s remarks on his relative lack of experience with cutting critiques of the former Governor. “I have never had to resign in disgrace. I have never cut Medicaid, I have never stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from the MTA, I have never hounded the 13 women who credibly accused me of sexual harassment, I have never sued for their gynecological records, and I have never done those things because I am not you, Mr. Cuomo,” he said. **Read more:** [_How Ranked-Choice Voting in the New York City Mayoral Primary Works_](https://time.com/7296165/nyc-mayor-ranked-choice-voting-primary/) His campaign drew endorsements from several prominent progressive politicians, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders. He has also received endorsements from progressive groups like the Sunrise Movement. Mamdani, the son of Columbia Professor Mahmood Mamdani and Indian filmmaker Mira Nair, known for movies like _Monsoon Wedding_ and _Mississippi Masala_, worked as a foreclosure prevention housing counselor “helping low-income homeowners of color across Queens fight off eviction” prior to running for office, [according to his state Assembly profile](https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Zohran-K-Mamdani). While attending Bowdoin College, he co-founded his college’s first Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. ## **A platform of making New York “more affordable”** A key tenet of Mamdani's campaign was his desire to [“lower costs and make life easier”](https://www.zohranfornyc.com/) in New York City. His platform focuses on affordability, and includes proposals to freeze rent in New York City, make buses fare-free, create a “network” of city-owned grocery stores that focuses on “keeping prices low, not making a profit,” and implement free childcare for any New Yorker between the ages of 6 weeks to 5 years old. In a city struggling with housing affordability, Mamdani plans to "overhaul" the Mayor’s office to “hold owners responsible” for the conditions of their buildings, and is pledging to “triple the City’s production of permanently affordable, union-built, rent-stabilized homes,” according to his platform. He has also proposed building a Department of Community Safety to “prevent violence before it happens.” Though he says that the New York City Police have a “critical role to play,” he says that they are being relied on too heavily for issues that can be dealt with through mental health and crisis response programs. Mamdani has argued his “bold” proposals will be paid by the top 1% of New Yorkers and from corporations. "Zohran's revenue plan will raise the corporate tax rate to match New Jersey’s 11.5%, bringing in $5 billion,” his website says. “And he will tax the wealthiest 1% of New Yorkers—those earning above $1 million annually—a flat 2% tax (right now city income tax rates are essentially the same whether you make $50,000 or $50 million.” Mamdani also promises to [“Trump-proof”](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKuhpCXMloa/) New York City, as the President attempts to attack sanctuary cities and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is operating throughout blue and red cities alike. He says he will fight against Trump’s recent attacks on immigrants, and that he will make New York City a safe city for LGBTQ+ Americans and those looking for reproductive healthcare. ## **A campaign supported by thousands of individual donations and volunteers** Mamdani stood out during the election for the sheer volume of individual donations he received. “The difference between myself and Andrew Cuomo is that my campaign is not funded by the very billionaires who put Donald Trump in D.C.,” [Mamdani said](https://www.tiktok.com/@zohran%5Fk%5Fmamdani/video/7512841806300728606) on the debate stage on June 4\. “I have to pick up the phone for the more than 20,000 New Yorkers who contributed an average donation of about $80 to break fundraising records and put our campaign in second place.” According to the [New York City Campaign Finance Board](https://www.nyccfb.info/vsapps/CandidateSummary.aspx?as%5Fcand%5Fid=2899&as%5Felection%5Fcycle=2025&cand%5Fname=Mamdani,%20Zohran%20K&office=Mayor&report=summ), Mamdani raised a total of $8million through his more than 20,000 individual donors, dwarfing the number of individual donors for Cuomo—[at under 6,000](https://www.nyccfb.info/vsapps/CandidateSummary.aspx?as%5Fcand%5Fid=2993&as%5Felection%5Fcycle=2025&cand%5Fname=Cuomo,%20Andrew%20M&office=Mayor&report=summ). Mamdani’s momentum in the race has been bolstered by his virality online. He has grown his following to over a million across Instagram and TikTok, on which he posts himself visiting beloved restaurants; appearing on popular social media shows like “Subway Takes;” and with other politicians, including fellow mayoral candidate Comptroller Brad Lander and City Council Member Chi Osse. His campaign has been notable not just for the donations, but also for the hundreds of volunteers who have spent the past few months canvassing for him across New York. [Organizers have said the number of canvassers for the campaign has reached 27,000 people](https://prospect.org/politics/2025-06-23-canvassers-make-final-pitch-mamdani-new-york-mayor-election/). Mamdani called his campaign the [“largest volunteer operation in NYC history.”](https://x.com/ZohranKMamdani/status/1914447721953456164) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7296925/zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayoral-primary/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7296925/zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayoral-primary/"},"headline":"What to Know About New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani","datePublished":"2025-06-23T20:47:03.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-11T01:00:42.076Z","description":"Zohran Mamdani is poised to become the Democratic nominee in New York City’s mayoral election, following Andrew Cuomo’s concession.","url":"https://time.com/7296925/zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayoral-primary/","keywords":["democrats","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8a841a5989dd72f/6998c7bcc8dcb43e70b503fb/GettyImages-2214145068.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8a841a5989dd72f/6998c7bcc8dcb43e70b503fb/GettyImages-2214145068.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"USA-NY-ZOHRAN-RALLY-BROOKLYNSTEEL-2025","caption":"USA-NY-ZOHRAN-RALLY-BROOKLYNSTEEL-2025","creditText":"Madison Swart—Hans Lucas/AFP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/democrats/","name":"democrats"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7296925/zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayoral-primary/","name":"What to Know About New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani"}}]}] ```