Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayoral election | US News

New York has elected a Muslim Mayor for the first time in history.

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, 34, won the election by a landslide.

Thousands of volunteers sought out Mamdani, whose platform focuses on affordable New York.

The results of the vote, which saw a record number of young voters, were announced hours after polls closed, but were only certified at around 3am (UK time).

This victory came after he was targeted for his religious beliefs, and faced false accusations that he wanted ‘sharia law’.

He won over Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York state, who was endorsed by Trump the day before the election.

‘Mr Mamdani declared before a cheering crowd at his victory party and told his supporters: ‘Conventional wisdom would tell you that I am not the perfect candidate.

‘I am still young, although I have done my best to grow old. I am a Moslem. I am a democratic socialist. And what’s most damning, I refuse to apologize for all of this,’

He views his victory as a victory for blue-collar workers struggling to survive.

‘New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change,’ he said, vowing to ‘wake up every morning with one goal: Make this city better for you than it was the day before.’

He will also be the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office on January 1.

In his speech, Mamdani spoke directly to Trump.

“New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, supported by immigrants and starting tonight, led by an immigrant,” he said, adding: “If anyone can show a country betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it’s the city that gave birth to him.”

Trump appeared to acknowledge Mamdani’s challenge, writing ‘…AND IT BEGINS!’ on his Truth Social site.

Mamdani was born in Uganda to an Indian mother and a Gujarati Muslim father who grew up in the East African country.

He and his family moved to the United States when he was a child, and he became a naturalized citizen in 2018.

But the President and other Republicans have taken aim at Mamdani, and Trump even suggested that the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist might be deported.

Now, he is the mayor of America’s most famous city.

What is Mamdani’s policy?

Mamdani stood out for his energetic campaigning style and attention-grabbing policy proposals, including freezing rents for many New Yorkers, providing free bus service, universal child care, and city-owned supermarkets.

In one of the world’s most expensive cities – where a three-bedroom flat can cost $6,000 a month – his message seems to have struck a chord with many.

His image as a fresh voice for the community has grown rapidly since he declared his candidacy for mayor last fall.

Mamdani has also been one of the most vocal politicians opposing Israel’s war in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

In 2023, he introduced legislation to end the tax-exempt status of charities in New York that have ties to Israeli settlements in violation of international human rights law.

However the bill quickly went nowhere due to lack of support from the Assembly.

Contact our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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