By Jacinto Caballero-George
After a long election and a lot of support from people around the country, Zorhan Mamdani has been elected as the first Muslim Mayor of New York City. Though this did come with its challenges due to all the prejudice around Muslim people in New York, especially after 9/11.
In his campaign, some of his most popular policies were the first universal childcare in New York to help struggling parents in the city. He said he would make the city buses free and freeze rent prices to help citizens afford more things without worrying about rent being raised.
These policies caught the attention of the New York citizens, making him the most promising candidate in the election. Mamdani’s approach in not hiding the fact that he is Muslim, and making it a large part of his campaign made him feel more human. More than just a man who was running for mayor, but also a citizen who has seen the bad in New York and still loves his city and wants to help it and the people in it.
Mamdani is currently in the transition period of becoming mayor of New York, but he has already started his support for all citizens.
Mamdani, as well as Bernie Sanders, have joined the people of New York in the strike on Starbucks. He is marching with striking workers for better wages, less sporadic work hours, and for a more predictable schedule.
When asked about the strike, Mamdani said, “These are not demands of greed. These are demands for decency. These are workers who are simply being asked to be treated with the respect that they deserve.”
The strike is not the only thing Mamdani has been doing since being elected. He recently met with president Donald Trump in the White House. Mamdani does think of Trump as a fascist, but he saw the meeting as an opportunity.
Trump started their press by congratulating Mamdani on his win and talking about how productive their meeting was, focusing on building more better housing and making New York a better city.
Mamdani emphasizes looking forward to working with the president to make New York a more affordable place for the millions of people struggling to live in the city they call home.
During the press conference Trump expresses that he no longer believes Mamdani is a communist, saying, “He’s got views that are a little out there, but who knows?”
The meeting, and later press conference with Trump and Mamdani went better than most expected it to go. Trump even said, “I met with a man who really wants New York to be great again,” referring to Mamdani. This being only one of many praises the president gave the mayoral elect during the conference.
Though Mamdani won’t be officially mayor until January 1st, 2026, he has already shown action to the people of New York that he is truly a mayor for the people.
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