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Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Who is Zohran Mamdani, Indian-origin assemblyman running for NYC mayor?
Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Assemblyman from Queens, New York, has suddenly emerged as one of the most talked-about candidates in the upcoming New York mayoral election, scheduled for June 24. The Indian-origin politician is now polling second, right behind former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and has captured attention with his progressive platform and viral social media presence. But with popularity has come backlash. Mamdani, who is a Democratic Socialist, is now facing increasing attacks from far-right groups and critics online — many of whom accuse him of anti-Israel and divisive rhetoric. Who is Zohran Mamdani? Born in Kampala, Uganda, to a renowned intellectual family, Zohran Mamdani moved to New York City at the age of seven. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a well-known Ugandan author and Marxist scholar of Indian descent, while his mother, Mira Nair, is an award-winning Indian-American filmmaker best known for 'Monsoon Wedding' and 'The Namesake'. Mamdani grew up in New York, studied in the city's public schools, graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College. He became a naturalised American citizen in 2018. Before entering politics, Mamdani worked as a housing counselor, assisting low-income families in Queens with housing, financial literacy, and foreclosure prevention. He is the first South Asian man and the first Ugandan to be elected to the New York State Assembly, and only the third Muslim ever to hold the position. From grassroots activist to mayoral challenger Mamdani entered politics with the Democratic Socialists of America in 2017. His early campaign work included stints with local progressive candidates like Tiffany Caban and Khader El-Yateem. He was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020 and re-elected unopposed in 2022 and 2024. Known for championing causes such as affordable housing, fare-free public transport, and a $30 minimum wage by 2030, Mamdani has sponsored 20 bills, three of which have become law. His policies are often inspired by Bernie Sanders and aim to make New York a more equitable city. 'This campaign is for every person who believes in the dignity of their neighbors and that the government's job is to actually make our lives better,' Mamdani said while announcing his mayoral bid. He is contesting against several prominent names, including Adrienne Adams, Speaker of the New York City Council; former hedge fund executive Whitney Tilson; and Andrew Cuomo, the former Governor of New York. Controversies: Israel, PM Modi, and 'India card' Despite his progressive credentials, Mamdani has come under fire for several of his remarks — especially those related to Israel and India. In a recent interview with Fox5's Good Day New York, Mamdani stated he does not support Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. 'Because I'm not comfortable supporting any state that has a hierarchy of citizenship on the basis of religion or anything else,' he told anchor Rosanna Scotto. 'In the way we have in this country, equality should be enshrined in every country in the world,' he added. His position sparked outrage among pro-Israel groups and conservative commentators, many of whom accused him of promoting anti-Semitism. Mamdani has also drawn criticism for his remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When asked in an interview whether he would attend a hypothetical joint press conference with PM Modi if the Indian leader visited New York, Mamdani flatly said he would not. He further compared Modi to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Recently, Mamdani also faced backlash for releasing a Hindi-language, Bollywood-style campaign video. In the 2-minute-23-second video, Mamdani spoke directly to Indian voters in Hindi, blending New York politics with Indian cinematic flair. While some praised the cultural nod, many on social media accused him of playing the 'India card' for votes. 'Shame on you for spreading antisemitism and Hinduphobia. You don't represent New York City, you represent division and hate,' one user commented online. Others labelled his campaign style 'gimmicky' and accused him of identity politics. (With agency inputs)
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Billionaire John Catsimatidis threatens to close Gristedes chain if socialist Zohran Mamdani elected NYC mayor
Billionaire John Catsimatidis threatened to close or sell his Manhattan-based grocery chain Gristedes if Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is elected the next mayor of New York City. 'We can't compete with Mamdani opening city run supermarkets for free,' Catsimatidis told The Post on Wednesday, referring to the mayoral hopeful's plans to open grocery stores owned and operated by the government in the five boroughs. 3 John Catsimatidis threatened to close or sell his Manhattan-based grocery chain Gristedes if Zohran Mamdani is elected the next mayor of New York City. Stefan Jeremiah for New York Post Advertisement 3 'Will Mamdani run the supermarkets with union help? When people start shoplifting, will he even have cops arrest them,' Catsimatidis pondered. Robert Miller 3 Catsimatidis, 76, has run the mainstay supermarket for decades on top of his slew of other businesses. Robert Miller 'Will Mamdani run the supermarkets with union help? When people start shoplifting, will he even have cops arrest them,' Catsimatidis pondered. Advertisement The 76-year-old supermarket mogul also suggested that if corporate taxes are hiked in the Big Apple – another lofty ambition included in Mamdani's campaign's progressive agenda – that he would need to relocate his company's headquarters. 'We'd probably move our corporate headquarters to New Jersey,' Catsimatidis said. Catsimatidis, 76, has run the mainstay supermarket for decades on top of his slew of other businesses. A spokesperson for Mamdani did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Gov. Hochul rips Zohran Mamdani's tax on rich, admits costs are pushing NYers to ‘Palm Beach'
Gov. Kathy Hochul shut down Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's plan to hike taxes on some New Yorkers — as she admitted high costs were pushing residents to move out of state. Hochul was asked in a TV interview if she backed Mamdani's plan to tax wealthy New Yorkers and up the corporate tax and flatly replied, 'No.' 'I'm not raising taxes at at time where affordability is the big issue,' Hochul told PIX 11. Advertisement 3 NY Gov. Kathy Hochul says she will not raise taxes on the wealthy in an interview with Pix 11. Gabriella Bass Mamdani has said he would impose a 2% income tax on Big Apple residents who make more than $1 million a year and inflate the corporate tax from 7.25% to 11.5%, the same as New Jersey. 'I don't want to lose any more people to Palm Beach,' she said. 'We've lost enough.' Advertisement Mamdani is polling second in the crowded Democratic primary for mayor and has been closing the gap with the frontrunner, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani has campaigned on promises of rent freezes on rent-controlled apartments, free buses and city-owned grocery stores. 3 Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani's tax plan hinges on collaboration with Albany to get expenses and tax hikes approved. Paul Martinka His plan to pay for it all relies on the very tax Hochul said she's not biting on, but he can't do it without Albany's approval. 'Let's be smart about this,' she said. Advertisement Many skeptics of the Queen's pol, who is now serving in the state Assemblyman, have highlighted the difficulty he will have in footing the bill for his promises. A recent scathing Op-Ed by the New York Times Editorial Board said the socialist lawmaker's policy plans ignore the 'trade-offs' required when governing. 'Mr. Mamdani, who has called Mr. de Blasio the best New York mayor of his lifetime, offers an agenda that remains alluring among elite progressives but has proved damaging to city life,' the board said. Fellow mayoral candidates Cuomo and Whitney Tilson have also jumped in to denounce Mamdani's financial plans on debate stages and in TV advertisements. At last week's debate, Cuomo asked Tilson, a former hedge fund manager, if the tax proposals laid out by Mamdani were feasible. Advertisement 3 Mamdani argues the state has desire to Increase taxes. Paul Martinka 'This all has to go through Albany; there is no appetite for what he is calling for,' Tilson responded. '(Even if it did pass) statewide, he's assuming that the legislature would just give it all (tax money) to New York City — that's truly delusional,' he argued. Mamdani defended his plan following the debate. 'You can see in the budgets of both the (state) Assembly and the Senate, a desire to increase taxes on those who can afford it, to be able to pay for a better quality of life for everyone,' he told reporters. A spokesperson for Mamdani did not respond to request for comment.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zohran Mamdani: Can the 33-year-old democratic socialist become NYC's next mayor?
The Brief Zohran Mamdani was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020. Mamdani has a focus on rent freezes, free bus rides and no-cost childcare. "Paying for this economic agenda and starting to Trump-proof our city is just a question of political will." NEW YORK CITY - Democratic candidate and Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is running to be the city's next mayor, aiming to succeed incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who's running for re-election as an Independent. MORE: Meet the candidates running for NYC mayor: List Mamdani, gaining a following in part for his snappy social media presence, has a focus on rent freezes, free bus rides and no-cost childcare, and is also advocating for housing affordability. Dig deeper The 33-year-old from Queens is a self-declared democratic socialist known for his activism, including leading a hunger strike alongside taxi drivers. Since his election to the New York State Assembly in 2020, Mamdani introduced the REPAIR Act to end significant property tax exemptions for Columbia University and NYU, aiming to redirect funds to the City University of New York (CUNY). According to his campaign website, Mamdani says he'll use "every tool available to bring down the rent, create world-class public transit, and make it easier to raise a family." Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City at age 7. According to the Associated Press, he became naturalized as an American citizen a few years after graduating from college, where he co-started his school's first Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. His mother, Mira Nair, is an award-winning filmmaker. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is an anthropology professor at Columbia University. What they're saying Mamdani says he's focused on housing and affordability for New Yorkers, based on his campaign website. His platform includes several key initiatives, including rent freezes, faster and fare-free buses and no-cost childcare. In an appearance on Good Day New York, Mamdani was asked: how can New York City afford it? "Well, there's a very clear way we can do it: we can tax Andrew Cuomo's donors," Mamdani said. "The top 1% of New Yorkers, and the most profitable corporations. Ultimately, paying for this economic agenda and starting to Trump-proof our city is just a question of political will." On the topic of public safety, Zohran said on his campaign website that he will "create the Department of Community Safety to prevent violence before it happens by prioritizing solutions which have been consistently shown to improve safety." "I want to be very clear, I will not defund the police," Mamdani said. "I will sustain the current amount of police officers we have in our police department, and that's because I know police have a critical role to play in public safety." For a closer look at Mamdani's stance on all issues, click HERE.
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Lawmaker Records From Jerusalem Bomb Shelter to Rail Against Socialist NYC Mayoral Candidate: 'Don't Want a Situation Like This in America'
A New York state senator posted a video to social media in which he delivered remarks from a bomb shelter in Jerusalem, advocating against the election of a New York City mayoral candidate. State Sen. Sam Sutton expressed his opposition to the Democratic Socialist candidate while in a Jerusalem bomb shelter on Sunday, publishing a video to Instagram in which he claimed that "one of the candidates does not want or does not believe the Jewish state has a right to exist." "Hi everyone, this is Sam Sutton sending you a video from the basement of the Inbal Hotel. This is the second time today we've had to come to a shelter, and there'll probably be one in the middle of the night like there has been for the last three nights," he began. "The reason we are here is because the Iranian people does not believe that the Jewish state has the right to exist. In fact, there is a mayoral primary coming up this week where one of the candidates does not want or does not believe the Jewish state has a right to exist. Please, I'm begging you, make sure to vote in the primary this week," he continued. Sutton then began advocating for the election of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "Voting started today, Sunday, and early voting will go through next Sunday. Do not make a mistake and forget to vote. And more importantly, make sure Governor Cuomo, who has been a great friend of the Jewish people, will be our next mayor, and not a person who does not believe that the Jewish state has a right to exist. We don't want to be in a situation like this in America. Thank you," he concluded. Although Sutton did not specifically call out mayoral candidate and current state Rep. Zohran Mamdani in the video, he has called out Mamdani in past posts. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist candidate, has advocated for pro-Palestine student protesters. Social media users took to online platforms to correct Sutton's rhetoric, with many questioning why Sutton was in a foreign country in the first place instead of being among his constituents in New York. "Mamdani has said he believes Israel has the right [to] exist as a state with equal rights, but refuses to recognize the country specifically as a 'Jewish state,'" wrote one, referring to Mamdani's response to a question at the first NYC mayoral primary debate. "Why is a State Senator in a foreign country and not with his constituents back home?" questioned another. "Sutton sounds deranged," one user asserted. "What does being the mayor of NYC have to do with another country thousands of miles away?" another asked. Originally published on Latin Times
