On Nov. 4, 2025, Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City, defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. At 34, the Ugandan-born democratic socialist became the city's first Muslim mayor, its first mayor of South Asian descent and its youngest in more than a century. He took office on Jan. 1, 2026.

How he won

A year earlier, Mamdani was a little-known state assemblyman from Queens. He won the Democratic primary in June 2025 by 12 points on a campaign built around the cost of living, with promises of fare-free city buses, a rent freeze for rent-stabilized apartments, universal child care and city-owned grocery stores, paid for in part by higher taxes on corporations and the wealthiest New Yorkers (CNN). His criticism of Israel's government alienated some voters in the city's large Jewish community, even as he repeatedly condemned antisemitism.

Trump and Mamdani

Trump attacked Mamdani during the campaign as a "communist" and threatened to cut federal funds to the city if he won. But when the mayor-elect visited the White House on Nov. 21, 2025, the meeting was strikingly cordial, with Trump calling it a "great honor."

What he has delivered

  • Rent freeze: Delivered. The Rent Guidelines Board, most of whose members Mamdani appointed, voted 7–1 in June 2026 to freeze rents on about 1 million rent-stabilized apartments for leases starting this fall (The Crosscheck).
  • Free child care: Started small. In March 2026, Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced 2,000 free child care seats for 2-year-olds, funded by the state, with plans to grow to 12,000 next year. His promise of universal care for children from 6 weeks to 5 years old would cost an estimated $6 billion a year, and the tax increases he proposed to pay for it have not been adopted (Haitian Times).
  • Free buses: Stalled. Because the buses are run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a state agency, fare-free service requires money from Albany, which has not been provided.
  • Budget: His first executive budget totaled $124.7 billion for the 2027 fiscal year.

What's next

Mamdani's ability to deliver his larger promises depends on the state Legislature and Gov. Hochul, who faces re-election in November 2026, and on whether the city's finances can absorb new programs.

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