In Kathmandu, there’s Balen. In New York, it’s now Zohran—a 33-year-old rising political force.
Zohran Mamdani has just won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, effectively making him the city’s next mayor, with a 99.99% certainty—given that Republicans stand virtually no chance in NYC politics.
Fluent in four languages—Hindi, Luganda (spoken in Uganda, where he was born), Spanish, and English—Zohran brings a global perspective rooted in working-class advocacy.
A proud Democratic Socialist, he champions the interests of the middle and working class, pushing bold policies like fare-free public transit, affordable housing, and taxing the ultra-wealthy. Active in progressive causes: led 2021 hunger strike for taxi-worker debt relief (~$450M), pushed for fare-free bus pilot
His politics have stirred strong reactions: Donald Trump even labeled him a “100% Communist lunatic”—a sign of just how disruptive Zohran’s progressive agenda is to the status quo.