Zohran Mamdani Creates History as New York Elects First Indian-American Muslim Mayor; Major Setback for Trump

New York: Democratic Socialist leader Zohran Mamdani has scripted history by winning the New York City mayoral election, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. The 34-year-old Indian-origin lawmaker, born in Uganda to filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, becomes the first South Asian and Muslim to lead America’s largest city. His victory is being seen as a political and ideological setback for U.S. President Donald Trump, who had openly campaigned against him.

Trump had endorsed independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, warning that if “communist candidate Zohran Mamdani” came to power, New York City would receive minimal federal funding. Despite such attacks, Mamdani secured 50.6 percent of the vote, defeating Cuomo, who received 41.3 percent, while Sliwa managed only 137,030 votes. The New York City Board of Elections recorded two million votes — the highest turnout since 1969 — with Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens witnessing massive participation.

Mamdani had earlier defeated Cuomo in the Democratic primary, establishing himself as the front-runner months before the election. His campaign focused on rent freezes, free city bus rides, and higher taxes for the wealthy — issues that resonated with working-class New Yorkers struggling with rising living costs and job insecurity.

Addressing his supporters after the win, Mamdani said his victory marked the end of a “political dynasty.” “We have toppled a political dynasty. Let tonight be the last time I utter his name as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and serves only the few,” he said, referring to Andrew Cuomo. He quoted former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in his speech: “A moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new. Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new.”

Mamdani’s rise marks a symbolic moment for America’s shifting political landscape — a socialist of Indian descent now governing the financial capital long seen as the citadel of capitalism. His open criticism of U.S. policies under Trump and Israel’s leadership under Benjamin Netanyahu has made him one of the most prominent progressive voices in American politics.

Trump also faced electoral setbacks in other key states. In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger was elected governor, while in New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won the governorship — deepening the political blow to Trump and his allies across the country.