Kampala-born Zohran Mamdani shakes up New York City mayoral race

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Kampala-born New York State Assemblyman Zohran Kwame Mamdani has launched a disruptive and history-making campaign for Mayor of New York City.

His entry into the New York City (NYC) mayoral race has ignited both fervent support and fierce controversy as he climbs to the forefront of the Democratic primary scheduled for June 24, 2025.

Mamdani, 33, a self-declared democratic socialist raised in Queens, is capturing national headlines and dominating political discourse with an unapologetically progressive platform that centres working-class struggles, housing justice, immigrant rights, and a blistering critique of American-backed policies in Gaza.

If elected, he would be the first mayor of Ugandan Indian descent in New York City’s history—and one of its youngest ever.

With polls now showing Mamdani in a competitive second place behind former Governor Andrew Cuomo, his candidacy is shaking the foundations of New York politics—and galvanising communities from Astoria to Kampala.

“What good is being the greatest city in the world if you can’t afford to pay your rent, your groceries, or even your $2.90 MetroCard?” — Zohran Mamdani

Born in Uganda’s capital in 1991 to Professor Mahmood Mamdani, a renowned academic and acclaimed filmmaker, Mira Nair, Zohran Mamdani moved to New York at age seven and was raised in Astoria, Queens.

“My father came to this country on a scholarship and joined civil rights marches in Alabama,” Mamdani told supporters at a Bronx rally. “Freedom and the fight for it is interconnected.”

That interconnection is now fueling his insurgent campaign, which critics say is radical. However, supporters are arguing that it is long overdue in a city buckling under the weight of inequality, gentrification, and racial injustice.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 
In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, Mamdani commands 36% of likely Democratic voters, surging ahead of traditional candidates and trailing only Cuomo, who holds 42%.

With incumbent Mayor Eric Adams not seeking re-election and ranked-choice voting in play, Mamdani’s diverse coalition could prove decisive.

He is drawing strength from young voters, communities of colour, Muslim and immigrant voters, and progressives disillusioned by the party establishment.

One supporter at a recent Harlem rally described Mamdani as “the son of Uganda, the voice of Queens, and the hope of the people.”

At the heart of Mamdani’s campaign is an urgent promise: “It’s time New Yorkers can afford their own city.”

Key proposals include freezing rent for 2 million plus tenants in rent-stabilised apartments, making public buses “fast and free”, advocating for universal childcare for working families, a localised Green New Deal, expanded immigrant protections and taxing the ultra-rich to fund social programs.

In his speeches, Mamdani invokes both scripture and socialism: “Faith without works is dead. And it is time to deliver.”

Mamdani is Uganda’s Pride

His rise is being celebrated across Uganda and its diaspora. “It is a proud and inspiring moment,” said Sanjiv R. Patel, spokesperson for the Indian Association Uganda. “Zohran’s journey is a testament that identity transcends borders. This is a proud moment for all Ugandans.”

Falguni Patel, Chairperson of the Indian Women Association in Uganda, added, “This is not just Zohran’s moment—it is Uganda’s moment. We wish him all the best.”

Sasi Kumar, Secretary of the Indian Association, said the diaspora community fully supports Mamdani, calling his campaign “a proud movement for all of us.”

Even ordinary Ugandans have taken to social media. One user wrote, “Zohran Mamdani is proof that Ugandans can lead anywhere—even in the most powerful city in the world.”