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Zohran Mamdani’s stunning victory in the New York mayoral race on November 4, 2025 — becoming the city’s first Muslim, first South Asian, and youngest mayor-elect since 1892 — has become a global masterclass in how political underdogs can rise to defeat powerful dynasties.
A fringe contender in a race dominated by heavyweights, few believed he would survive the Democratic primaries, let alone win the general election. Even his own Democratic Party offered no support, as he was widely cast as a far-left radical.
Yet he triumphed with 50.4 per cent of the vote against Andrew Cuomo’s 41.6 per cent, an extraordinary achievement given the formidable odds. At the heart of Zohran’s story lies a blueprint for political outsiders.
Born in Uganda to Indian parents — renowned scholar Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair —Zohran embodies a rich multicultural heritage. One might assume this background aided his rise, but the mayoral race showed the opposite, as identity concerns tried to undermine his ascent.
America prides in being a “nation of immigrants” but moments of political tension often see identity anxieties overshadowing substantive debate. Barack Obama endured “birther” conspiracies; Kamala Harris faced baseless questions about her eligibility despite being born in California.
Zohran faced persistent stereotype throughout his campaign. His most prominent rival, Andrew Cuomo, amplified doubts about his identity, even publicly challenging him to “explain” his ties to Uganda — a country he portrayed as violating political rights and persecuting LGBTQ+ individuals.
Within President Trump’s anti-immigration agenda, Republican Congressmen have found solace to challenge citizenship pathways of immigrants on the political rise, especially those openly opposed to his administration.
Ilhan Omar is facing deportation threats to Somalia — a country she fled in 1995 while seeking refuge in the United States. Similarly, attacks questioning Zohran’s path to citizenship — including threats to revoke it if deemed improperly obtained — intensified during the campaign but largely subsided after meeting with Trump.
Zohran moved to USA with his parents in 1998 at the age of seven, completed his education, and ultimately became a naturalized citizen in 2018. Identity anxiety and much of this backlash resides in Zohran’s outspoken solidarity with Palestinians — a stance, while principled, exposes him to repeated attacks laced with Islamophobia and unfounded accusations of anti-Semitism.
His suggestion to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu for alleged human rights violations in Gaza, and his refusal to commit to visiting Israel if elected, drew repeated accusations. Cuomo labelled the stance anti-semitic, while outgoing Mayor Eric Adams questioned why a newly elected leader would skip a longstanding political tradition.
At the height of the smear campaigns, media amplified the rhetoric. radio host Sid Rosenberg claimed Zohran “would be cheering” another 9/11, as his guest, Cuomo, boldly replied, “That’s another problem,” instead of stopping the inflammatory remarks. Notable Republicans drew on the same 9/11 anxiety to cast Zohran as a security threat.
Without evidence, his other political contenders, Curtis Sliwa accused him of supporting “global terrorism” and Eric Adams as dangerous for New York. Jim Walden went as far as calling Zohran the “most dangerous” while urging low-polling contenders to unite against him.
Despite false labelling, Zohran embraced his story as a source of moral authority, as Obama did in the 2008 presidential elections. His speeches framed identity- based attacks as political distractions to real challenges facing New Yorkers.
His policy platform — rooted in Democratic Socialist ideals — ignited fierce debate within America’s free-market framework. His proposals echoed past populist promises of making life more affordable, expanding public services and reducing inequality.
But his plan to tax the wealthy to fund free childcare, stabilise rents, expand bus access, and create affordable grocery outlets stood in sharp contrast to their elite interests. Trump derided Zohran as a “communist lunatic” and threatened to withhold federal funding.
Financial and real-estate oligarchs rallied behind Cuomo to block insurgent Zohran — efforts that ultimately failed. Lessons from history are clear: an idea whose time has come cannot be stopped, even amid heavy intimidation and smear campaigns.
Zohran’s résumé seemed modest — serving only as a state Assembly member for Queens’ Astoria since 2020.
This seemed, at least on paper, no match for Cuomo, a seasoned political veteran backed by a storied family legacy traced back to his father, Mario Cuomo, a three- term New York governor (1983 – 1994), and his own tenure as governor from 2011 to 2021.
But Cuomo’s experience proved a double-edged sword offering little worth envying. As governor, allegations of complicity in sexual harassment, Covid-19 mismanagement — especially nursing home cover-ups — and corruption among allies forced his resignation.
Leveraging this to keep him on the defensive, Zohran turned his own perceived inexperience into a compelling advantage against entrenched politics. As the campaign neared its end, tactics like stereotyping, intimidation and attacking Mamdani’s experience failed, as his poll numbers held.
This prompted a recalibration: low-polling candidates withdrew to endorse Cuomo, and Eric Adams, who had previously called Cuomo “a snake and a liar,” endorsed him, warning against a far-left victory.
President Trump joined the effort, endorsing Cuomo over his own Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa. Elon Musk publicly backed Cuomo, signalling an attempt by prominent figures to consolidate establishment power against an insurgent.
The key lesson: while political dynasties rely on elite alliances, underdogs win by expanding public support —exactly what Zohran achieved through grassroots community meetings, small-donor fundraising, and local coalition-building.
For all the formidable odds, Zohran’s eventual victory symbolises a physical battle mirroring David and Goliath, a story often evoked by religious clerics and secular writers reminiscing realities of how underdogs can triumph amidst adversity.
Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants argues that what appears to be a weakness can become a hidden strength, while supposed strengths can be crippling liabilities.
As a result, despite the formidable odds, Zohran’s triumph exemplifies that principle.
His win is more than a personal achievement — it is a political roadmap, showing how authenticity, resilience, and the mobilising power of ordinary people can defeat even the most entrenched political establishment.
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