Zohran Kwame Mamdani (born October 18, 1991) is an American politician serving as a member of the New York State Assembly for the 36th district, representing Astoria and Long Island City in Queens since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Mamdani is the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City in the 2025 election.
Early Life and Education
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, to academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair. His middle name honors Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. Both parents are of Indian descent: his mother, a Punjabi Hindu from Odisha, and his father, a Gujarati Muslim raised in Uganda.
The family relocated to South Africa when Zohran was five, before moving to New York City two years later. He grew up in Morningside Heights and attended the Bank Street School for Children and later the Bronx High School of Science, where he co-founded the school’s cricket team. He went on to study Africana Studies at Bowdoin College, graduating in 2014.
Career
Early Work and Music
Before entering politics, Mamdani worked as a housing counselor, assisting low-income homeowners in Queens with foreclosure and eviction cases. Alongside activism, he pursued a hip-hop career under the name Young Cardamom, releasing music in English and Luganda, including the viral track Kanda (Chap Chap) and later Nani, dedicated to his grandmother.
He also curated and produced the soundtrack for his mother’s 2016 film Queen of Katwe, earning a nomination at the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards.
Political Beginnings
Mamdani’s political work began as a volunteer in New York City Council races, including campaigns for Khader El-Yateem and Ross Barkan, and as a field organizer for Tiffany Cabán’s 2019 DA race. He joined the DSA in 2017 and became a key figure in New York’s progressive movement.
New York State Assembly
In 2020, Mamdani ran for the 36th Assembly District on a platform of housing reform, public ownership of utilities, and criminal justice reform. He defeated four-term incumbent Aravella Simotas in the Democratic primary, a victory seen as a major upset for progressives in Queens.
Reelected without opposition in 2022 and 2024, Mamdani has sponsored legislation on fare-free buses, rent stabilization, and climate justice, while serving on nine Assembly committees.
2025 New York City Mayoral Campaign
On October 23, 2024, Mamdani announced his run for mayor of New York City. His platform includes:
- Fare-free city buses and expanded transit access
- Public childcare and universal pre-kindergarten
- 200,000 new affordable housing units
- City-owned grocery stores to reduce food costs
- A $30 minimum wage by 2030
- Tax increases on corporations and millionaires
Mamdani also pledged to enforce ICC arrest warrants, controversially promising to detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited New York. He defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo in the June 2025 Democratic primary, with support from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Political Positions
- Housing: Advocates rent control, tenant protections, and public housing investment.
- Economy: Supports corporate tax increases and higher income tax on millionaires to fund social programs.
- Transportation: Backs fare-free buses and congestion pricing reforms.
- Climate: Opposed new fossil-fuel infrastructure; supports school solar retrofits and decarbonization programs.
- Foreign Policy: Outspoken critic of Israeli policies toward Palestinians; opposed U.S. airstrikes on Iran.
- Social Issues: Supports LGBTQ+ rights, sanctuary city protections for immigrants, and universal healthcare under the New York Health Act.
Personal Life
Mamdani holds dual citizenship in Uganda and the United States. He is a practicing Shia Muslim and married Rama Duwaji, a Syrian-American animator, in 2025. The couple resides in Astoria, Queens.
Outside politics, he is a fan of the New York Mets, New York Giants, and Arsenal FC.
