Zohran Mamdani has won the New York City mayoral race, becoming the first Muslim to hold the position in a city that is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States.
Mamdani secured victory in the Democratic primary in June before winning the general election. His campaign concentrated on affordability issues and included visits to more than 50 mosques across the city, with some visited multiple times.
The campaign operated phone banks in Urdu, Arabic and Bangla, amongst other languages, to reach the city’s diverse Muslim population.
Zohran Mamdani elected NYC mayor following campaign targeting Muslim communities and affordability
Mamdani’s campaign schedule included night shifts, during which he visited LaGuardia Airport to meet taxi drivers. Many of these drivers are Muslims of South Asian descent. In 2021, Mamdani went on a hunger strike to secure debt relief for taxi drivers.
His campaign produced videos about inflation that were filmed at halal food carts and gained traction on social media. He conducted interviews from Jackson Heights restaurants, including Kabab King.
Throughout his campaign, Mamdani maintained his position on the Palestinian cause as polling showed New Yorkers increasingly sympathised with Palestinians over Israelis.
However, in the weeks before the general election, Mamdani faced what supporters described as Islamophobic rhetoric from opponents.
Andrew Cuomo appeared on a radio programme where the host suggested Mamdani would support another 9/11-style attack, and Cuomo laughed.
Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate, accused Mamdani of supporting “global jihad”, a claim that was false. Mayor Eric Adams, who ended his re-election campaign and endorsed Cuomo, said the city risked falling into “Islamic extremism” if Mamdani were elected.
Mamdani addresses Islamophobia in speech that gained national attention
Last month, Mamdani delivered a 10-minute speech addressing the attacks he had faced. The speech gained attention beyond New York City.
He spoke about his experiences with faith and identity as a child after 9/11 and said Islamophobia remains one of the few forms of bigotry that is largely accepted in New York.
“The dream of every Muslim is simply to be treated the same as any other New Yorker. And yet for too long, we have been told to ask for less than that and to be satisfied with whatever little we receive,” he said. “No more.”
Mamdani said he had campaigned as a candidate for all New Yorkers rather than simply “the Muslim candidate”. Whilst he expressed gratitude for support following the attacks, he said Muslim New Yorkers without his profile remained in his thoughts.
Victory represents moment for Muslim New Yorkers in city still dealing with post-9/11 legacy
New York City continues to deal with the legacy of post-9/11 Islamophobia. Mamdani’s primary victory in June was described by supporters as a moment for Muslim New Yorkers.
His campaign mobilised a coalition of ethnic and religious groups that have rarely received such focus from a citywide candidate.
The campaign’s strategy of bringing an economic message to the city’s hundreds of thousands of Muslims formed a part of his operation.
