Zohran Mamdani: Can the 33-year-old democratic socialist become NYC's next mayor?
Zohran Mamdani GDNY interview: Debate, Cuomo, more
Queens Assemblyman and Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, joined Good Day New York with Dan and Rosanna following Wednesday night's debate.
NEW YORK CITY - Democratic candidate and Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is running to be the city's next mayor, aiming to succeed incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who's running for re-election as an Independent.
Mamdani, gaining a following in part for his snappy social media presence, has a focus on rent freezes, free bus rides and no-cost childcare, and is also advocating for housing affordability.
Who is Zohran Mamdani?
Dig deeper:
The 33-year-old from Queens is a self-declared democratic socialist known for his activism, including leading a hunger strike alongside taxi drivers.
Since his election to the New York State Assembly in 2020, Mamdani introduced the REPAIR Act to end significant property tax exemptions for Columbia University and NYU, aiming to redirect funds to the City University of New York (CUNY).
Zohran Mamdani speaks into a megaphone at the Working Families Party rally in Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, NY USA. (Photo by MADISON SWART/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)
According to his campaign website, Mamdani says he'll use "every tool available to bring down the rent, create world-class public transit, and make it easier to raise a family."
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City at age 7. According to the Associated Press, he became naturalized as an American citizen a few years after graduating from college, where he co-started his school’s first Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. His mother, Mira Nair, is an award-winning filmmaker. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is an anthropology professor at Columbia University.
What are his key policy stances?
What they're saying:
Mamdani says he's focused on housing and affordability for New Yorkers, based on his campaign website. His platform includes several key initiatives, including rent freezes, faster and fare-free buses and no-cost childcare. In an appearance on Good Day New York, Mamdani was asked: how can New York City afford it?
"Well, there's a very clear way we can do it: we can tax Andrew Cuomo's donors," Mamdani said. "The top 1% of New Yorkers, and the most profitable corporations. Ultimately, paying for this economic agenda and starting to Trump-proof our city is just a question of political will."
Politics Unusual - One-on-one with Zohran Mamdani
On this episode of Politics Unusual, a one-on-one sit down with New York City Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani, a discussion with Andrew Rigie of the NYC Hospitality Alliance about the city's 'disastrous' outdoor dining program, and who qualifies for public matching funds in the NJ Governor's race.
On the topic of public safety, Zohran said on his campaign website that he will "create the Department of Community Safety to prevent violence before it happens by prioritizing solutions which have been consistently shown to improve safety."
"I want to be very clear, I will not defund the police," Mamdani said. "I will sustain the current amount of police officers we have in our police department, and that's because I know police have a critical role to play in public safety."
For a closer look at Mamdani's stance on all issues, click HERE.