After sealing a groundbreaking win, Zohran Mamdani took to X with a message that captured the weight of the moment, “Thank you, New York City. Together we made history. Now let’s get to work.”
The 32-year-old Democratic socialist, who currently represents Queens in the state assembly, is now set to become the first Muslim and South Asian and the youngest person in over 100 years to lead America’s largest city.
In a video shared on X, Mamdani outlined his next steps, pledging to begin building a City Hall team capable of translating his campaign vision into governance. “These appointments will be driven by excellence, integrity and a hunger to solve old problems with new solutions,” he said, hinting at upcoming announcements for deputy mayors and commissioners.
Thank you, New York City. Together we made history.
Now let’s get to work. https://t.co/G7F2sbda74 pic.twitter.com/GQABMqJHgn
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 5, 2025
He added, “On January 1st, I will be your Mayor – New Year’s Day and a new era for this city.”
Mamdani explained how his government will will speak to organisers on the front lines to improve the city, such as “government veterans with proven track records, policy experts from around the country and the world and working people, who know better than anyone what our neighbourhoods deserve.”
He also said that like the campaign that was run and the City Hall to be built, everything will be “defined by transparency”.
His victory capped a night of major gains for Democrats nationwide, including two crucial governor’s races, marking both a morale boost for the party and a potential warning shot for Donald Trump ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Mamdani, the son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and Ugandan-born scholar Mahmood Mamdani, triumphed over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent after a string of scandals, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani secured over 50 per cent of the vote, while Cuomo finished with just above 40 per cent and Sliwa trailed at 7 per cent.
Throughout his campaign, Mamdani promised bold reforms centred on working-class New Yorkers. He proposed initiatives such as free childcare, rent freezes, free bus transit, and government-run grocery stores aimed at tackling the city’s affordability crisis.
Despite facing relentless criticism over his socialist ideals and Muslim identity from conservative media, business lobbies, and even Trump himself, Mamdani’s grassroots movement prevailed. In a powerful message to supporters, he declared, “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.”
He continued, “In this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light.”
The ripple effects of Mamdani’s victory were felt nationwide. Democrats not only celebrated his historic win but also clinched key gubernatorial victories in Virginia and New Jersey, while California voters passed a proposition to redraw electoral districts, in a direct pushback against Trump-backed gerrymandering.
Trump, meanwhile, refused to accept any responsibility for his party’s poor showing, blaming the losses on a government shutdown and his absence from the ballot. In a post on Truth Social, he lashed out at Mamdani, calling him a “Jew hater.”