While not yet certified due to “ranked choice” tabulations, 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani is the undisputed winner of the Democratic primary election for New York City Mayor. Born in Uganda to Indian parents, Mamdani, of Muslim faith, became a U.S. citizen in 2018, and was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020. Prior to serving in the state legislature, Mamdani was a “foreclosure avoidance counselor.”
Also noteworthy are the City Council Democratic primary victories of 34-year-old incumbent City Council member Shahana Hanif and 52-year-old Alexa Avilés. Hanif was born in the United States to immigrant parents from Bangladesh, also a Muslim, and Avilés, a Democratic Socialist from Puerto Rico, have both been outspoken about the genocide. Avilés was endorsed by Jewish Voice for Peace, and her “moderate Democrat” opponent was heavily funded by a pro-Israel PAC.
Mamdani ran on a platform of making New York “affordable,” which would obviously resonate with many younger voters who are trying to live in the City, and the mainstream press are nervously attributing his victory mainly to that factor, but as mentioned in yesterday’s briefing, Israel/Palestine was a major factor in the race, including during one of the mayoral candidate debates in which each of the nine candidates was asked which country they would visit first after being elected; all but Mamdani said “Israel.” Mamdani said that he wouldn’t leave New York because his job was to help New Yorkers.
