That's what it's about
- Zohran Mamdani becomes the first Muslim mayor of New York City. He is also one of the youngest mayors in the city's history. Mamdani is from Uganda, where he worked as an intern.
Shy and modest, but also curious and ambitious – that's how the editorial staff of the Daily Monitor in Uganda remember the young Zohran Mamdani. His father had arranged the internship for him at the newspaper in 2007, hoping his son would learn more about current world events. Mamdani didn't become the top reporter he had hoped for at the time, but he did become the first Muslim mayor of New York City in Tuesday's elections – and at 34, the youngest.
"As a young man, he was very, very curious," says journalist Angelo Izama, who looked after Mamdani in Kampala and remained in contact with him for many years afterward."That's something that will stay with him throughout his life." Mamdani's rise didn't surprise Izama."I think he's fundamentally globally oriented, not so much Ugandan and not so much American."
Born in the Ugandan capital
Mamdani was born in 1991 in the Ugandan capital to Indian parents. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a political scientist and professor at Columbia University and taught for many years at Makerere University, Uganda's most prestigious public university. His academic work is considered influential in the field of postcolonial studies. His mother is the filmmaker Mira Nair, whose work was nominated for an Oscar. The politician has no siblings.
The Mamdani family divides their time between the USA, India, and Uganda, where they own a house in an affluent neighborhood of Kampala. In July, the family gathered there to celebrate Zohran Mamdani's wedding.
Longtime friends and acquaintances in Uganda say that while he doesn't speak the local Luganda dialect fluently, he understands the language and is proud of his heritage."We shouldn't just be proud of Mamdani," says media manager Joseph Beyanga of the Daily Monitor."We should be absolutely thrilled."
His candidacy attracted the attention of Trump
Mamdani left Uganda as a child but returned regularly to his homeland. He became an American citizen in 2018. Before being elected to the New York State Legislature in 2021, the self-proclaimed democratic socialist worked for the community in the Queens borough of New York City, supporting people facing eviction.
Mamdani's victory over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary surprised and shocked politicians from both sides of the political spectrum. His campaign focused on reducing the city's spiraling cost of living. He promised free city buses, free childcare, rent control for subsidized housing, and government-run supermarkets—all financed by tax increases for the city's wealthy residents.
His candidacy also attracted the attention of US President Donald Trump, who claimed without evidence that Mamdani was residing illegally in the US. Some Republicans subsequently called for the revocation of his citizenship and his deportation. Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon labeled the democratic socialist a Marxist and a jihadist.
