Hip-hop artist turned mayoral candidate for New York: Zohran Mamdani.
As Zohran Mamdani walked the streets of the Upper East Side for a campaign event and greeted the first voters, he could barely take a few steps without being stopped by his supporters. Two young women, full of enthusiasm, told him they follow him on Instagram. The millennial Democratic mayoral candidate thanked them and then posed for a selfie with a young man who was preparing to take a photo. Thousands of journalists followed his every move, such as when he ran into the street to shake hands with a taxi driver who shouted, "We support you, man." With a significant lead in the polls, the 34-year-old is poised to make history, as New Yorkers prepare to vote on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, to elect him the city's youngest mayor in a century and its first Muslim and South Asian leader.
From unknown to front runner
Just a few months ago, he was relatively unknown. Almost no one could have predicted his rise, from a hip-hop artist and housing counselor to a member of the New York State Assembly and the front runner in the mayoral race for the largest city in the US, a position that comes with a $116 billion budget and global attention.
Leadership in a competitive race
With viral videos and outreach to content creators and podcasters, Mamdani has managed to reach disillusioned voters at a time when confidence in the Democratic Party is at a historic low. However, doubts remain about whether he can deliver on his ambitious promises and how a politician without executive experience will handle the relentless criticism from a hostile Trump administration. There is also the complicated issue of his relationship with his party's establishment, as he becomes a leading figure for left-wing Democrats.
He refers to himself as a democratic socialist, without a clear definition, but essentially means strengthening the voice of workers over large corporations. He has promised to tax millionaires to fund expanded social programs. This is a policy reminiscent of that of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, with whom he has frequently shared the stage.
The Trump reaction
Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw federal funding if New Yorkers elect a "communist." Mamdani has dismissed this common attack on his politics, and in a television interview, he agreed with the host, saying he is "somewhat like a politician from Scandinavia," only darker-skinned, as he joked.
The confrontation with Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa
His victory will be seen as a rejection of "politics as usual" by New Yorkers, as the city deals with the high cost of living, the main issue on Mamdani's agenda. His main opponent in Tuesday's election is former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent after his defeat by Mamdani in the primaries. Cuomo accuses Mamdani of an anti-business agenda that will destroy New York. He claims to have proven he can confront Trump, but Mamdani calls Cuomo a "puppet" of the president. Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate, mocks them both. In the last debate, he said, "Zohran, your resume fits on a napkin. And Andrew, your failures could fill a New York public school library."
Commitments to housing and public services
Mamdani's message has focused on affordability and quality of life. He has promised universal pre-school care, a rent freeze on subsidized housing, free public buses, and city-run grocery stores. "I support him because I am a housing lawyer and I see how the cost of living keeps going up," said Miles Ashton to the BBC outside the candidates' debate earlier this month. "We all want an affordable city." The costs of Mamdani's program will be covered through new taxes on corporations and millionaires, which he says will yield $9 billion, although some, such as the Cato Institute, question his calculations. He will also need the support of the state legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul to implement these new taxes.
Recognition and political change
Mamdani has reached out to his critics, and after his primary victory, Wall Street leaders were initially worried. However, the tone has since changed—less panic, more cooperation. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon stated that he would offer his help if Mamdani is elected. Real estate developer Jeffrey Gural, who has met Mamdani, argues that he is too inexperienced to lead the country's largest city, while the plan for a rent freeze could hurt tenants, and taxes on the wealthy will drive away high-income earners.
The future of the party
Many Democrats in Congress are concerned about the consequences of Mamdani's rise. His support from progressive voters may not be a recipe for success nationally. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has not endorsed him, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed him just hours before early voting began. Regardless of the controversy, Mamdani seems ready to bring change to New York—and with a path that leaves no room for a return to traditional politics.
www.bankingnews.gr
From unknown to front runner
Just a few months ago, he was relatively unknown. Almost no one could have predicted his rise, from a hip-hop artist and housing counselor to a member of the New York State Assembly and the front runner in the mayoral race for the largest city in the US, a position that comes with a $116 billion budget and global attention.
Leadership in a competitive race
With viral videos and outreach to content creators and podcasters, Mamdani has managed to reach disillusioned voters at a time when confidence in the Democratic Party is at a historic low. However, doubts remain about whether he can deliver on his ambitious promises and how a politician without executive experience will handle the relentless criticism from a hostile Trump administration. There is also the complicated issue of his relationship with his party's establishment, as he becomes a leading figure for left-wing Democrats.
He refers to himself as a democratic socialist, without a clear definition, but essentially means strengthening the voice of workers over large corporations. He has promised to tax millionaires to fund expanded social programs. This is a policy reminiscent of that of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, with whom he has frequently shared the stage.
The Trump reaction
Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw federal funding if New Yorkers elect a "communist." Mamdani has dismissed this common attack on his politics, and in a television interview, he agreed with the host, saying he is "somewhat like a politician from Scandinavia," only darker-skinned, as he joked.
The confrontation with Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa
His victory will be seen as a rejection of "politics as usual" by New Yorkers, as the city deals with the high cost of living, the main issue on Mamdani's agenda. His main opponent in Tuesday's election is former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent after his defeat by Mamdani in the primaries. Cuomo accuses Mamdani of an anti-business agenda that will destroy New York. He claims to have proven he can confront Trump, but Mamdani calls Cuomo a "puppet" of the president. Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate, mocks them both. In the last debate, he said, "Zohran, your resume fits on a napkin. And Andrew, your failures could fill a New York public school library."
Commitments to housing and public services
Mamdani's message has focused on affordability and quality of life. He has promised universal pre-school care, a rent freeze on subsidized housing, free public buses, and city-run grocery stores. "I support him because I am a housing lawyer and I see how the cost of living keeps going up," said Miles Ashton to the BBC outside the candidates' debate earlier this month. "We all want an affordable city." The costs of Mamdani's program will be covered through new taxes on corporations and millionaires, which he says will yield $9 billion, although some, such as the Cato Institute, question his calculations. He will also need the support of the state legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul to implement these new taxes.
Recognition and political change
Mamdani has reached out to his critics, and after his primary victory, Wall Street leaders were initially worried. However, the tone has since changed—less panic, more cooperation. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon stated that he would offer his help if Mamdani is elected. Real estate developer Jeffrey Gural, who has met Mamdani, argues that he is too inexperienced to lead the country's largest city, while the plan for a rent freeze could hurt tenants, and taxes on the wealthy will drive away high-income earners.
The future of the party
Many Democrats in Congress are concerned about the consequences of Mamdani's rise. His support from progressive voters may not be a recipe for success nationally. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has not endorsed him, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed him just hours before early voting began. Regardless of the controversy, Mamdani seems ready to bring change to New York—and with a path that leaves no room for a return to traditional politics.
www.bankingnews.gr
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