Photo of the NYC Mayor’s office. NYC.GOV / COURTESY
Elaina Batista, Asst. Social Media Editor
On Nov. 4, Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, won the New York City Mayoral election, becoming the city’s first Muslim and person of South Asian descent to be elected mayor.
Mamdani won after running a campaign off a progressive platform focused on city affordability, frozen rent and universal health care among several other ideas. He became the first New York mayoral candidate to win over a million votes since the 1960s, and is set to take office fresh in the new year on Jan.1, 2026.
On Election night, Mamdani took the stage at the Brooklyn Paramount and delivered a victory speech saying, “The future is in our hands.”
He opened his victory speech with a quote from Eugene Debs, a socialist politician who had run for president in the early 1990s saying, “The sun may have set over our city this evening, but, as Eugene Debs once said, I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.”
“In this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light,” he continued.
Mamdani then proceeded to use his time on the stage to directly address President Donald Trump.
“Together, we will usher in a generation of change,” Mamdani said. “And if we embrace this brave new course, rather than fleeing from it, we can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears, not the appeasement it craves…So Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.”
Mamdani launched his mayoral campaign approximately one year ago, and in just 365 days has gone from being a relatively unknown assemblyman to the future mayor of America’s largest city.
On Monday, just one day before the new mayor was elected, Trump threatened to restrict federal funds from New York if Mamdani won the city’s election.
“[It’s] highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required,” Trump said.
Also in Mamdani’s speech, he thanked several people including, bodega owners, “Mexican abuelas, Senegalese taxi drivers and Uzbek nurses, Trinidadian line cooks and Ethiopian aunties.”
“Thank you to the next generation of New Yorkers who refuse to accept that the promise of a better future was a relic of the past,” Mamdani said. “You showed that when politics speaks to you without condescension, we can usher in a new era of leadership.”
Mamdani’s election marks a notable shift in New York City politics. As he enters office drawing attention to issues of affordability, healthcare and workers rights, critics question whether his proposals can actually be carried out effectively.
His path from state assemblyman to mayor highlights a demographic shift taking place in New York City, with his voter base coming from younger, working class voters.
Following his speech, Mamdani was joined on stage by his wife, Rama Duwaji, and his parents, filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. The family embraced as fans shouted and confetti filled the Brooklyn Paramount, signaling the end of the campaign. As he waved to the audience, cries of “Mayor Mamdani” resonated throughout the auditorium.