New York City, known for its open market, capitalist economy, and open competition, is also characterized by economic and social inequality. Zohrab Mamdani, a 34-year-old immigrant, was elected mayor of New York on Wednesday, making this a key issue. As the Democratic Party candidate, he campaigned on the slogan "New York is an accessible city for all."

According to a recent study report prepared by the Robin Hood Fund in collaboration with Columbia University, about 25 percent of the population in New York is below the poverty line. Which is double the national average of the world's superpower, the United States. The report states that almost half of the population of New York has difficulty meeting even basic daily expenses. 

High apartment rents are another problem here. Almost a third of people's income here goes to house rent. The middle and lower classes are struggling in this way in daily life, but the number of upper classes is increasing in this city. According to a recent report by Bloomberg, one in every 24 people has assets of more than one million US dollars. As the city has become more expensive, the number of low and middle income people leaving and the rich moving in has increased. In New York, known as a city of immigrants, racism has also been on the rise recently.

Mamdani, who closely observed this situation, made the problems related to the livelihood of the people of the land his election issue. He put forward public welfare issues such as establishing accessible grocery stores on every street, stopping the increase in apartment rents, operating free bus services, providing childcare, and building 200,000 new housing units.

Mamdani won more than 1 million votes (50.4 percent) in the election. His closest rival, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, won 850,000 (41.6 percent) and Republican Curtis Silva won about 146,000 (7.1 percent) votes. Cuomo was the governor of New York State from 2011 to 2021. After losing to Mamdani in the Democratic Party primary election, he ran as an independent candidate.

Challenging the wealthy, including President Trump

On the eve of the election, US President Donald Trump opposed Mamdani. He had been silent about his own party's Republican candidate, Curtis Silva, and supported independent candidate Cuomo. He also warned on social media that he would withhold federal funding if Mamdani wins the election. 

‘If Communist candidate Zohrab Mamdani wins, I am very unlikely to give any federal funding beyond the minimum. I do not want to send good money to bad people,’ Trump wrote. Meanwhile, Cuomo was supported by a group of New York City billionaires before the Democratic primary election. Billionaires such as former mayors Michael Bloomberg and Bill Ackman have come out in favor of Cuomo. 

Mamdani plans to raise taxes on individuals and corporations earning more than $1 million annually to implement his pro-people programs. His plan to stop rent increases is expected to immediately benefit one million people who are suffering from high rents. Similarly, he has promised to build 200,000 permanent affordable apartments over the next decade. He has also promised to double the government’s investment in preserving public housing.

‘We need more affordable housing. “Most of the housing that is being built is out of reach of the working class, who need it the most,” Mamdani said during the election campaign. However, international media reported that Mamdani will face challenges in the coming days as the federal government must provide a large subsidy for affordable housing development in New York. 

Immediately after winning the election, he openly challenged President Trump, saying that New York rejects political division. “Whether it’s immigrants, the trans community, or the black women Trump has fired from federal jobs, every single woman is waiting for the price of groceries to go down,” he said. “New York will not be a city where you can win elections by spreading Islamophobia.”

He added, “The way to intimidate a dictator is to weaken every condition that allows him to consolidate power. This is not just about Trump, it’s about stopping another dictator. Donald, I know you're watching this speech, I only have four words, turn the volume up.' Reminding that New York was built by immigrants, he said that this city also has immigrant leadership. 'Listen, President Trump, if he goes against any of us, he goes against all of us.' 

The ideological debate on socialism in America 

Mamdani's election campaign has promoted the ideological debate on socialism and the issue of generational change in America. Democratic Party Senator Bernie Sanders supported Mamdani's candidacy, portraying him as a strong leader who stands up for workers against the interests of the wealthy. Similarly, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the US House of Representatives, also supported him. 

Opponents, especially conservative Republicans, have promoted him as a communist. On June 25, President Trump wrote on his own social media account Truth, “Mamdani is a 100% communist hypocrite.” Similarly, Nick Shorter, a well-known conservative podcast host, wrote on X on June 23, “Mamdani is not just a socialist, he is a full-fledged communist. He is even more left-wing than Bernie Sanders.”

It is not uncommon for Republican Party leaders in the US to label those who advocate democratic socialism as communists. Bernie has been similarly publicized before. Oksana Sevel, an associate professor of comparative politics at Tufts University in Boston, told Al Jazeera, “Many Western democracies, from France to Canada, have policies that provide free or highly subsidized childcare and public transportation. The communist agenda is one in which the government controls all production and prices, not just rent or supermarket operations. And in a communist society, there is no party other than the communist party. Mamdani did not advocate such a thing. So he is not a communist.’

Harvey Kleeher, a historian of American communism at Emory University, said that democratic socialism is emerging as an alternative to communism. ‘In theory, socialists reject the communist idea of ​​a revolution led only by the proletariat and oppose participatory democracy. They also reject the idea of ​​state ownership of the means of production,’ Kleeher said. ‘They agree on some issues, including hatred of capitalism.’

New York’s first Muslim mayor 

Mamdani is the first Muslim to be elected mayor of New York. Mamdani was born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda, to a Muslim father and a Hindu mother of Indian origin. His father, Mohammed Mamdani, is a professor of anthropology, political science, and African studies at Columbia University. 

Mamdani quoted former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's famous statement in his victory speech, "There comes a rare moment in history when we move from the old to the new, when an era ends and the soul of a nation that has been tormented for a long time begins to speak." He said that New York City has emerged as a light amidst the political darkness, "No one can win in New York by spreading Islamophobia."

Mamdani's mother, Mira Nair, is a famous filmmaker. She has directed famous films like Salaam Bombay, Mississippi Masala, and Namesake. Mamdani came to America with his family at the age of seven.

He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science with a degree in Higher Education and Africana Studies from Bowdoin College in Maine. While in the Bronx, he was also a candidate for vice president in the student elections. But he was defeated. Since his student days, he has advocated for equal rights and anti-war policies. Mamdani only got US citizenship in 2018. 

Apart from politics, cricket and hip-hop music are his interests. He is known in the rap field by the moniker ‘Young Cardamom’. Under this name, he performed the song ‘Gaun Farkne Chhin’ in Jinja, Uganda in 2016 with rapper HBA. He worked as a music supervisor in the film ‘Queen of Katwi’ directed by Mira Nair, which was released in 2016.

He was the third assistant director in this film and also appeared in a small role. In 2019, he released the song ‘Nani’ under the moniker in memory of his maternal grandmother. He considers his grandmother an inspiration for happiness, wisdom and affection.

Political career 

Mamdani joined the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) New York City chapter in 2017. That same year, he campaigned in support of Palestinian-born Khader El Yatim, a candidate for the New York City Council. However, Yatim was defeated in that election. Mamdani, who is constantly involved in social and political campaigns, was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2021 from District 36 in Queens, New York. He raised slogans such as making the process of buying and renting real estate accessible, improving police and prison conditions, and bringing the service sector into public ownership. (With the support of the agency)