Zohran Mamdani is slated to assume what's regarded as the second-most difficult position in the US: governing New York City. His primary obstacle will be confronting the individual with the more demanding role, President Donald Trump.
TL;DR
- Zohran Mamdani won New York City mayor race, promising affordability and facing opposition from President Trump.
- Mamdani's "Trump-proofing NYC" initiative aims to protect vulnerable residents and challenge federal policies.
- The mayor-elect faces challenges from Republicans, Democratic establishment figures, and Wall Street leaders.
- Mamdani's pledges include rent freezes, free childcare, and municipal grocery stores, requiring federal funding.
Mamdani, 34, pulled off a historic win in New York’s mayoral race with a slew of promises aimed at making life more affordable for residents. The democratic socialist received more than 50% of votes, while former Governor Andrew Cuomo — who ran as an independent — got just over 40%. Republican Curtis Sliwa managed about 7%.
To fulfill his campaign pledges, Mamdani will need additional federal funding, as the government supplied over $7 billion in revenue to the city's budget this year. However, Trump has already criticized him as a “communist lunatic” and indicated he will restrict access to financial resources.
The mayor-elect was defiant in his victory speech. “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him,” Mamdani told supporters. “And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.”
Republicans are already positioning Mamdani as their foil, labeling him and his proposals as representative of the Democratic Party, as they prepare for mid-term congressional elections next year.
Following the New York City election, House Speaker Mike Johnson commented on X, stating that the Mamdani victory had repercussions as it “will be felt across our entire country” and “cements the Democrat Party’s transformation to a radical, big-government socialist party.”.
Johnson's remarks came as moderate Democrats secured victories in other races on Tuesday night. Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA operative, comfortably won the Virginia gubernatorial contest. Mikie Sherrill, a Navy veteran and former prosecutor, emerged victorious in New Jersey.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California also secured a major win as voters in his state passed Proposition 50, which permits the redrawing of congressional districts to benefit Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, potentially hindering Trump's strategy to maintain control of the House.
Trump-Proofing
Trump has already shown he’s prepared to use federal money as a lever against Democrats.
A day after the government shutdown commenced, the White House suspended $18 billion in infrastructure funding for New York, citing issues with diversity and inclusion policies. This action jeopardizes a vital funding stream for essential upgrades to the area's aging transportation networks, such as the expansion of the Second Avenue Subway and the tunnel project under the Hudson River.
Mamdani is set for a confrontation with The Trump administration regarding funding for health and food initiatives, in addition to potential disputes over the president's deportation efforts.
Mamdani has committed to reinforcing New York's sanctuary city designation, which restricts the local administration's collaboration with federal bodies concerning immigration enforcement. Furthermore, within a section labeled “Trump-Proofing NYC” on his campaign site, his agenda proposes allocating $165 million to support immigration legal defense programs.
On Wednesday, the mayor-elect stated that his appeal to “Trump-proof” New York aims to safeguard the city's most vulnerable inhabitants from the policies of a president he considers inimical to their well-being.
Mamdani committed to opposing Trump's policies, but stated his priority would be fostering a city united by its residents, rather than getting into a personal dispute with the president.
During Wednesday's America Business Forum in Miami, Trump offered several critical remarks concerning Mamdani.
“The Democrats are so extreme that Miami will soon be the refuge for those fleeing communism in New York City,” he said.
During a later conversation with Fox News, Trump stated he felt conflicted, balancing his wish for New York's prosperity with his anticipation that Mamdani would serve as a valuable political adversary. He commented that the mayor-elect's defiant victory speech was “off to a bad start” and suggested he should “be nice” to achieve success.
“I’m the one that sort of has to approve a lot of things coming to him,” Trump said. Asked if he would look to engage Mamdani, Trump said he thought “that it would be more appropriate for him to reach out to us.”
Democratic Tensions
Mamdani faces opposition not only from Republicans but also from The Democratic establishment, which remains wary of the Queens assemblyman. His political background is relatively brief, with only four years spent in the New York state legislature. The swift ascent of Mamdani, whose professional journey once included a period as a rapper before his service in Albany, has taken the party's long-standing leaders by surprise.
Governor Kathy Hochul delayed her endorsement of the mayoral candidate for months, stating she won't sanction tax increases necessary for the new mayor's plans. Senator Chuck Schumer, a leading figure in the party's mainstream and a highly visible Jewish politician nationally, offered no public support for Mamdani.
Mamdani was apprehended in October 2023 near Schumer's Brooklyn residence, demonstrating against Israel's conduct in Gaza shortly after Hamas's assault on the Jewish nation.
On Wednesday, Schumer said he spoke with Mamdani and congratulated him on running a “very, very good campaign.”
“I’m moving forward,” said Schumer, who did not endorse Mamdani.
Leading figures on Wall Street, such as Bill Ackman and Dan Loeb, had also characterized Mamdani’s suggested policies as detrimental to New York's economic well-being. Michael R. Bloomberg, the founder and principal owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, backed Cuomo in both the primary and general elections, and has also donated to political action committees supporting his campaign.
“New York is on the verge of making a monumental mistake,” Home Depot Inc. Co-founder Ken Langone said before the election, referring to the prospect of a Mamdani win. He compared the candidate’s policies to those that led to economic turmoil in Venezuela, Cuba and Argentina, adding that “capitalism works.”
But some on Wall Street are now adapting to the new reality. Ackman congratulated Mamdani after the election, telling the mayor-elect to “let me know what I can do.”
Mamdani's decisive victory highlights the strength of his appeal, demonstrating how his charisma, social media expertise, and focus on affordability connected with voters.
Upon his inauguration as New York City's 111th mayor on January 1, 2026, he'll be the youngest individual to occupy the position in one hundred years. Furthermore, he'll be the first Muslim to lead the city and the inaugural person of South Asian heritage to serve in this capacity throughout the city's four-century existence. Mamdani only attained naturalized US citizenship in 2018.
Lauren Klein, a Mamdani voter who works in art conservation and lives in Long Island City, said now that Mamdani is elected, she wants “more affordable housing, and an effective leader.” Another supporter, Jonathan Neer, said that he trusts Mamdani “to make a conscious effort.”
“Whether or not he will be a good mayor, I don’t know. But I trust him to try,” Neer said before stepping inside a Fort Greene bar in Brooklyn to watch Mamdani’s victory speech after Tuesday’s election.
Mamdani’s Promises
Mamdani has pledged to begin enacting his campaign pledges without delay. These include freezing rents in rent-stabilized units, offering complimentary bus transportation, establishing a comprehensive, no-cost childcare initiative for infants and toddlers aged 6 months to 5 years, and launching five municipal grocery stores, with one situated in each borough, among other proposals.
Evan Roth Smith, a Democratic pollster and political consultant at Slingshot Strategies, said Mamdani’s narrow majority could help him in his appeal for more funding to make those pledges a reality.
“When he goes to Albany, when he goes to the federal government, he can say ‘I do have the majority of New Yorkers behind me when I asked for this,’” Roth Smith said.
“He’s going to have a tougher argument because it wasn’t 60% or 55%, it was 50 points and a hair,” he said.
Mamdani's promised rent freeze also encounters several obstacles, such as the potential for Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams to will stack the Rent Guidelines Board with his own selections who will not support a freeze.
This implies Mamdani might fall short of his progressive voter base's expectations if he can't deliver on his promises after the initial excitement of his victory subsides.
“The campaign is over, all the great promises,” said Apollo Global Management Inc. President Jim Zelter. Now, “it’s about delivering,” he said.
“You don’t celebrate the day you buy a company, you celebrate the day you sell it. There needs to be a change in tone and he needs to bring the city together,” Zelter said.