One of Us, For All of Us: Zohran Mamdani’s New York Revolution

New York City voters have chosen Zohran Mamdani as their next mayor, concluding a closely watched race that centered on affordable living, public safety, and city reform. 

At 34-years-old, Mamdani will become the youngest mayor in over a century and the city’s first Muslim mayor, succeeding Eric Adams. His campaign emphasized policies aimed at improving public transit, expanding access to social services, and addressing the high cost of living. The race drew attention not only for its historic outcome but also for what it revealed about changing voter demographics and priorities.

The result of Mamdani’s victory came in during the first hour of polls closing. According to NBC News, Mamdani started off leading the polls at around 51% of the vote, followed by Cuomo at 39%, and Sliwa third at 8%. Mamdani held the highest share of votes across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, while Cuomo led in Staten Island. As counting continued, Mamdani maintained his lead with over one million votes, roughly 50% overall, while Cuomo followed with more than 800,000 votes (about 41%), and Sliwa remained in third with just over 100,000 votes (7%).

Mamdani’s victory signals a notable shift in New York City Politics. Mamdani’s rise reflects how younger, more diverse voters are reshaping the city’s political landscape. According to the Gothamist, early voter turnout in 2025 was more than five times what it was in 2021. More than 735,000 New Yorkers cast early ballots, a surge of younger voters was seen as voters ages 25-34 made up about 20% of the vote. 

The results of the election suggest that many New Yorkers want stronger action on housing affordability, public transit, and social services; issues Mamdani highlighted in his campaign. The transition from Eric Adams' more moderate administration to Zohran Mamdani’s pledge for a more progressive administration could bring policy changes at City Hall. The coming months will show how Mamdani’s administration translates campaign promises into policy amongst the city's complex challenges.

Back in June 2025, the Democratic Party primary election took place, where voters ranked candidates Adrienne Adams, Michael Blake, Andrew Cuomo, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, Zellor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Scott Stringer, and Whitney Tilson in ranked-choice voting. According to the Board of Elections, Mamdani won the democratic primary with 573,169 votes in the final round, with Cuomo following behind at 443,229 votes. After the primary election, Cuomo announced he was running in the Independent Party in order to continue his run in the race. With Eric Adams announcing he would end his bid for reelection back in September, this left a race between Mamdani, Cuomo, and Sliwa. Citizens of New York had been following candidates’ campaigns and mayoral debates since, deciding who would be their next mayor in the end.

In a poll commissioned by the Partnership for New York City in October, it was found that transit, safety, and affordability were top issues for voters. According to the poll, almost 50% of voters said that making public transit more reliable would improve their daily commutes, 41% wanted to see a more affordable and accessible city 10 years from now, and almost 40% felt that an increase in police and law enforcement would reduce crime.

Candidates responded to these issues, detailing plans for each. Mamdani focused heavily on housing affordability and social services, advocating for rent stabilization measures, increasing funding for public housing, and expanded community programs. In transit, Mamdani proposed to expand a pandemic-era pilot program and eliminate fares on all city buses. He also proposed expanding bus lanes in order to speed up bus traffic. Meanwhile, Cuomo highlighted creating a balance between expanding the MTA’s fare-free bus pilot program and maintaining the financial health of the MTA, urging the city and state to ensure sustainability and affordability of transit systems. Sliwa prioritized policing and crime reduction, proposing expanded police presence and expansion of the NYPD, while also addressing transit improvements and housing affordability.

While Mamdani’s victory marks a historic moment for New York City with supporters nationwide, his administration will face immediate and long-term challenges. One challenge Mamdani has been outspoken about is the question of Donald Trump’s implementation of ICE in New York City, and in a recent development, Trump’s threats to cut funding from the city if Mamdani were to win.

According to an interview from 60 Minutes with the president, Trump states: “It's gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York, because if you have a communist running New York, all you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there".

According to BBC, Mamdani has responded to the interview with President Trump, stating he would “Address that threat for what it is: it is a threat. It is not the law”. This challenge will certainly be one both citizens and Mamdani’s administration will be watching with ICE already infiltrating the streets, as numbers from the American Immigration Council show that immigrants account for 23% of the population in New York.

Zohran Mamdani’s election into office marks a historic moment for New York City, reflecting the influence of younger and more diverse voters.

The coming months will test his ability to turn campaign priorities on housing, transit, and social services into effective policies while navigating budgetary restraints and political challenges. How Mamdani’s administration addresses these issues will shape not only the city’s immediate future but also its role as a model for urban governance nationwide.

Mayor Mamdani Knows Your Name.

In a political landscape where it seems the head demon in charge has unchecked power to tear everything apart, Zohran Mamdani stands as a bright beacon of what a leader can be. 

I had the incredible pleasure of meeting Mr. Mamdani - on a first date of all things -  and somehow ran into each other twice in the same night. The second time, after only a two-minute conversation earlier, he remembered my name and the magazine I worked for. That moment has stayed with me because it revealed exactly who he is — both as a man and as a leader. The most incredible thing about his campaign is the way he constantly supports the overlooked, the frequently ignored, the forgotten.  No person is “little” to him.

He’s in bodegas, he’s talking to taxi drivers, he’s on Gaydar - I genuinely don’t know when he sleeps. But somehow he’s everywhere - single-handedly connecting with every single niche community in one of the most diverse cities in the world. His grassroots, on-the-ground campaign is proof that democracy still has a pulse. 

Zohran for NYC reports hundreds of multilingual volunteers speaking to thousands of New Yorkers every day for months on end. Mamdani started with very minimal name recognition, but he put himself out there - knocking on doors, attending community events, religious spaces, small businesses - going anywhere and talking to everyone, leading to his endorsement by huge NYC institutions like the New York Working Families Party and the New York City Central Labor Council. His artistic background (please go listen to his rap discography if you haven’t), striking visual branding, and investment in influencer culture helped him cut through political noise. 

Various Viral TikToks after His Halloweekend across NYC

Mamdani with Influencer Komal Nambiar via Instagram

He’s reigniting political energy among Gen Z — a generation that has consistently lacked interest in politics and voting because no politician ever seems to have any real interest in us. 

Zohran’s win is not just a victory for him or us - it’s a victory of the American Dream itself. Having emigrated to the U.S. at seven, Mamdani becoming mayor of New York City is living proof that the American Dream still exists today. That belief, that anyone, regardless of their background, can achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and opportunity, isn’t a faded ideal. It’s alive in America today, and Mamdani’s story embodies it.

Zohran Mamdani, with his mother and acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair

It’s not that everything is magically fixed, however. Zohran is an outlier - there are still millions of Americans incarcerated, discriminated, and oppressed because of whatever box they do or do not check. That’s exactly why his rise matters. 

It’s not that we ever gave up hope in America; it’s that our hope now has legs to stand on. It is my greatest hope that people have grown tired of being overlooked and cast aside by the current administration, which appears to prioritize extending and preserving its own wealth and power. Let Zohran’s win be the ignition of a fire that sweeps the nation - a reminder that We The People still have the power.

May we see through lies and manipulation of the media, stand together as one against what is objectively inhumane, and let no government ever have the power to take away our value of life again.

How to Not Be the Non-Confrontational FriendHow to Not Be the Non-Confrontational Friend

In the horrific adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie, the 1976 film dives into the life of shy, non-confrontational, and nonviolent (at the time) Carrie White. Carrie is portrayed as a teen with little experience in social settings, which makes her vulnerable to being picked on and bullied in different ways. 

“No, it’s not that I don’t like to speak up for myself, I’m just super non-confrontational.” That’s not a statement you should live by, babe. What do you mean you’re just “super non-confrontational”? No matter how shy you are, you should always speak up for yourself—no matter what. 

Carrie herself was a beautiful young girl, unable to grow into her teen years like a “normal” teenager due to constant abuse and mistreatment from her mother. Being told to never say anything to anyone takes a toll on you as both an individual and a young person. For Carrie, not speaking up for herself turned into one dumpster fire after another, spiraling out of control and ultimately leading to her own—and others’—demise. 

Now, I know we’re all too old to bully each other. Plus, death is a bit extreme. We’re grown adults; anything should be fixable or compromiseable through a simple conversation. Even if you don’t get your way, at least you’ll have peace of mind knowing you said your piece and shared your perspective on whatever the issue, argument, or disagreement was. 

October is a crucial time in your college career. Everything is happening at once—welcome week, assignments, events, classes, birthdays, you name it. By now, you’ve likely established a routine, found your friend group, and if you’re like me and love your friends, you’ve probably seen them multiple times since school started to discuss the most important event of the year: Halloween weekend. 

The biggest college holiday brings all the chaos you’d expect—but what should matter most is maintaining your friendships and overall well-being. Speak up for yourself. I can’t say it any simpler. Disagreements will happen. Minor verbal altercations are inevitable when, for example, everyone’s talking at once, most of y’all are “turnt", social batteries are drained, and there’s only one charger left. Shit happens. What matters most is that y’all make it back where you came from and remain friends. 

For those celebrating Halloween College Edition for the first time, I want you to use your discernment—heavily use your discernment. You just got here. You don’t know these people yet, and if you have to ask who your friends are, those are not your friends. Know your crowd and know when to speak up. It’s never okay to get steamrolled or to participate in steamrolling

others. Humanity is in a crisis state right now, and it takes zero effort to be empathetic toward one another. 

Know who you are and represent that—for no one but yourself. Finally, for my shyer baddies, like Carrie, who hold space for inconvenience and grace in their hearts: it’s okay not to say every thought that crosses your mind. But when it comes to your overall well-being and comfort, you should say something—and you know that. You’re not “doing too much” if you speak up for yourself, especially in situations that make you uncomfortable. A lot of problems could be avoided or solved with words. 

Carrie isn’t a happy story—she killed everyone out of anger and frustration instead of speaking up for herself with strength and confrontation. Don’t be the non-confrontational friend. Be the confrontational friend, baddies.