Zohran Mamdani, Democratic candidate for mayor of New York, was elected this Tuesday, November 4, 2025. This new figure in the party takes the helm of the most populous city in the United States. And while some already see him as a candidate for the next elections, everything does not seem so simple.
New York’s youngest mayor
This is a surprising result. At only 34 years old, Zohran Mamdani becomes the youngest mayor of New York City in over a century. The record remains held by Hugh J. Grant who was elected at the age of 31 in 1889. The Democratic candidate won the vote with 50.4% of the votes (provisional figures on 91% of ballots counted). He imposes himself in front Andrew Cuomothe former Democratic governor of the state, who received 41.6% of the votes and the Republican Curtis Sliwa (7.1%). He therefore became the 111th mayor of New York, and the first to be Muslim.
For Zohran Mamdani this victory “ shows a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him » (BFM TV.). A victory which restores momentum to the Democratic Party, one year after the defeat of Kamala Harris in the presidential election. Another sign to note is that one of the opponents, Andrew Cuomo, is also a Democrat. Losing in the primaries, he launched an independent list. He notably participated in the administration of Bill Clinton. But it was ultimately Mamdani’s much more left-wing vision that won the hearts of voters in the megacity in the 8.5 million inhabitants.
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Mamdani: the “communist”
During his victory speech, Zohran Mamdani denounced Donald Trumpwhich he described as “ despot“, and defended the city’s welcoming policy towards immigrants: ” New York will remain a city of immigrants (…) To reach one of us, you will first have to get through all of us » (BFM.TV).
The day before the election, Donald Trump, on his social network Truth Social, had supported Andrew Cuomocalling Mamdani “ communist candidate » and threatening to reduce the federal contribution to the city in the event of victory. The future mayor also responded to criticism of his commitment to the Palestinian cause. Mamdani said he wanted to build a town hall resolute in fight against anti-Semitism and to include the more than one million New York Muslims in political decisions.
The American president also made a post saying: “ Any Jew who votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self-proclaimed anti-Semite, is an imbecile! “.
On local issues, the new mayor promised to work with the police to reduce crimewhile tackling mental health crises and the homeless situation. He also reaffirmed his main campaign promises: supervised rent freeze, free transport and daycare, aimed at making New York more affordable for its inhabitants.
Also read: Who is Zohran Mamdani, the “revelation” of the American Democratic Party?
A ceiling to ambitions
With such a victory and such a growing popularity, many already see him sitting in the Oval Office. However, everything is not so simple. Indeed, Zohran Mamdani is not not born in the United States. He was born on October 18, 1991 in Kampala, Uganda. He is the son of a family of intellectuals of Indian origin. It was only later, when he was 7 years old, that he joined the Americas and obtained his nationality in 2018.
The U.S. Constitution sets out several criteria for running for office. Be at least 35. This is not yet the case, but by the next elections in 2028, the criterion will be met. You must also have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. Zohran Mamdani arrived 27 years ago, so that’s good. But there is a third criterion, more delicate. It’s necessary ” Be a citizen of the United States by birth “. A factor that cannot change.
