By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Uganda’s Zohran Mamdani has been elected Mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim to be elected as mayor in the United States’ largest city, a victory that came after a keenly contested election.
His victory on Tuesday marks a historic milestone for the city of over 8.4 million residents, renowned for its economic strength and cultural influence.
“Over the past 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater,” he said to his supporters in Brooklyn following his win.
“Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands.”
In a victory for the Democratic party’s progressive wing, Mamdani defeated former New York governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
With the victory, the self-described democratic socialist will etch his place in history as not just the city’s first Muslim mayor, but the first of South Asian heritage and the first born in Africa.
At 34, Mamdani will also become the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office on Jan. 1.
“New York City, breathe this moment in,” Mamdani said. “We are breathing in the air of a city that has been reborn.”
He added, “Hope is alive… hope over tyranny. Hope over big money and small ideas. Hope over despair. We won because New Yorkers allowed themselves to hope that the impossible could be made possible.”
While many across the diverse metropolis celebrated Mamdani’s historic victory as a sign of progress, his supporters have emphasised that his triumph was not about identity but about his focus on affordability.
The election was seen as a test of direction for Democratic politics, with Cuomo symbolising the party’s old establishment and Mamdani, an avowed democratic socialist, representing a new progressive path.
Cuomo, who ran as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani in June, described the race as a reflection of internal party tensions.
