VOTERS across the US went to the polls on Tuesday (4) in a series of key elections, with much of the attention focused on New York city, where Indian American lawmaker Zohran Mamdani is leading the race to become the next mayor.
The 34-year-old Democratic nominee, who was born in Uganda to parents of Indian origin and raised in New York, has emerged as a prominent voice in American progressive politics.
He faces former New York state governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
The election marks the first major national vote during president Donald Trump’s second term, and results from New York, New Jersey and Virginia are being seen as an early signal of public opinion on his administration.
Mamdani, a state assembly member from Queens and a democratic socialist, defeated Cuomo in the Democratic primary earlier this year. Opinion polls show him ahead by double digits as New Yorkers cast their ballots on Tuesday.
In the final days before voting, Trump publicly endorsed Cuomo, calling on New Yorkers to reject Mamdani.
Posting on Truth Social, he said: “Whether you like Andrew Cuomo or not, you have no choice. You must vote for him… Mamdani is not capable.”
He warned that a Mamdani victory would make New York a “total economic and social disaster,” adding that he would cut federal support to the city if the Democrat won.
Zohran Kwame Mamdani with his parents, Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, and his wife, Rama Duwaji Zohran Kwame Mamdani with his parents, Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, and his wife, Rama Duwaji
Mamdani dismissed Trump’s comments, saying the endorsement showed that Cuomo was backed by “the same billionaires that gave us Donald Trump’s second term.”
He said the former president’s backing made it clear whose interests his rival represented. “New Yorkers are tired of this agenda from Washington,” he said. “They don’t want a version of it in City Hall.”
The son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and Ugandan scholar Mahmood Mamdani, Zohran has described his campaign as one built around affordability and equality.
His promise includes free childcare for all families, fare-free city buses, and a rent freeze for tenants. He has also proposed the creation of city-owned grocery stores to help reduce food prices and address the rising cost-of-living.
His campaign has drawn support from across New York’s diverse communities. A group named ‘Hindus for Mamdani’ held a prayer gathering in the city over the weekend, offering blessings for his safety and success.
Mamdani’s economic agenda has drawn comparisons to earlier progressive campaigns in the US, while his opponents have criticised his ideas as unrealistic. But his message of reducing inequality and making public services affordable has resonated strongly among younger and working-class voters.
Former president Barack Obama reportedly spoke to Mamdani by phone on Saturday (1), telling him his campaign had been “impressive to watch” and offering to serve as a “sounding board” if he wins.
Zohran Mamdani speaks to the press after voting at a polling location at Frank Sinatra School of Arts in the Queens borough of New York City on November 4, 2025. (Photo by LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Current mayor Eric Adams, who had faced several corruption investigations, dropped out of the race in September, leaving Mamdani and Cuomo as the main contenders.
For Mamdani, the election is about reshaping New York’s future. “This city should work for everyone, not just for the wealthy,” he told supporters last week. “We can build a city where housing, transport and childcare are rights, not privileges.”
As polls closed on Tuesday night, voters across the city said the rising cost of living and access to affordable housing were their main concerns.
Results are expected later this week.
(Agencies)
