Zohran Mamdani

“Trump’s nightmare” becomes New York mayor

Mamdani was born in Uganda in 1991 and came to New York with his parents at the age of seven.(Bild: AP/Yuki Iwamura)

He calls himself US President Donald Trump's "worst nightmare": 34-year-old left-wing politician Zohran Mamdani is the first Muslim to become mayor of New York. His landslide victory in Tuesday's mayoral election is a major defeat for the right-wing Republican, around a year after his re-election as president.

A Muslim at the helm of New York is a minor sensation almost a quarter of a century after the attacks of September 11, 2001. According to election officials, more than two million people made the pilgrimage to the polling stations, more than at any time since 1969. As a charismatic newcomer, Mamdani could become a formidable opponent to Trump at the top of the dazzling metropolis. The "Big Apple" is not only regarded as the economic and cultural center of the United States. The East Coast metropolis with around eight million inhabitants also carries special political weight.

Trump: "Communist lunatic"
 But the incumbent US president is unlikely to take this personal defeat lying down: Shortly before the election, he had threatened to cut federal funding for the largest US city to a minimum if Mamdani won. He even insulted the 34-year-old as a "100 percent communist lunatic".

According to US media based on projections, the politician from the left wing of the Democratic Party won by around ten percentage points over Trump-backed candidate Andrew Cuomo. Republican Curtis Sliwa finished far behind.

Mamdani was born in Uganda in 1991 and came to New York with his parents at the age of seven.(Bild: AP/Yuki Iwamura)

From left: Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA (Cuomo), AFP, AFP, Adobe Stock, ManuPadilla)

Former New York Governor Cuomo ran as an independent in this election. Trump had not given Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa a chance of winning and therefore advised his supporters to vote for Cuomo as the lesser of two evils compared to Mamdani. The previous mayor, Democrat Eric Adams, had also entered the race despite a corruption scandal, but then withdrew his candidacy due to low chances of success.

Rent cap and free buses
Mamdani was born in Uganda, has Indian roots and is considered a rising star on the American left. He is currently still a member of parliament in the state of New York. During the election campaign, he promised a policy that is primarily geared towards the needs of low and average earners and aims to reduce the horrendous cost of living in the metropolis: He plans a rent cap, free buses and free childcare. This is to be financed by higher taxes for the wealthy and companies.

Mamdani's success story challenges the established power structures in US politics. He represents a clear break with the Democrats' previous course. Mamdani financed his election campaign mainly through small donations - a deliberate signal against the influence of big donors, which he accuses both Republicans and Democrats of having. During the election campaign, he was supported above all by young voters, trade unions and many people with a history of immigration.

Left-wing politics can be capable of winning a majority in the USA
It is expected that his success will fuel an internal debate within the Democrats: between those who are backing a much more left-wing approach in order to stand up to President Trump and those who are campaigning for a more moderate course. Mamdani and his political supporters - including the well-known, left-leaning Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - see the election result as proof that left-wing politics can be capable of winning a majority in the USA.

No presidential candidacy possible
Mamdani has made a lightning rise: Just a year ago, the MP from the borough of Queens was virtually unknown in the New York State Assembly. With a clever campaign in online media and tens of thousands of volunteers, he managed to score points with young people in particular. With his broad smile, bouncy gait and approachable manner, Mamdani reminds quite a few people of the young Barack Obama, who made it to the presidency in 2008 against all the odds with slogans such as "Hope" and "Yes we can".

Mamdani is the son of Indian director Mira Neir, whose film "Salaam Bombay!" was nominated for an Oscar in 1988, and the Ugandan political scientist Mahmood Mamdani. He was born in Uganda in 1991 and came to New York with his parents at the age of seven. He attended good schools, tried his hand as a rap musician and advised citizens on eviction lawsuits before his election as a New York representative. He has been a US citizen since 2018.

There is a persistent rumor among Trump supporters that Mamdani obtained his US passport by providing false information. There are repeated calls for his "deportation". Mamdani's supporters, on the other hand, see him as a beacon of hope against Trump and the entrenched political structures in the USA. However, his enthusiasm will not carry him all the way to the White House: as Mamdani was born in Uganda, his path to the presidency is barred by the US constitution, similar to that of Styrian Arnold Schwarzenegger, who went from Hollywood to the office of governor of California for the Republicans.