In a crowded Democratic primary for mayor of New York City that featured a former governor, seasoned candidates from past mayoral elections and an alumnus of the Obama White House, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani set himself apart early despite his lack of name recognition.
He did it largely by connecting with younger voters, producing sleek, engaging campaign ads on social media and beating the drum about the need to make life in New York more affordable. This narrow focus on a single, salient issue drove Mr. Mamdani’s campaign, which his main rival, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, described as “highly impactful” as he conceded the race on Tuesday night.
In his victory speech, Mr. Mamdani hammered home his message one last time, attributing his success to New Yorkers who had voted for “a city where they can do more than just struggle.”
As Mr. Mamdani looks poised to secure the Democratic nomination and attention turns to the general election, here’s what to know about where he stands on key issues.
Affordability
“Every politician says New York is the greatest city on the globe,” Mr. Mamdani said in his first campaign ad, released eight months ago. “But what good is that if no one can afford to live here?”
So began a campaign tightly focused on the cost-of-living crisis plaguing the city. His platform, detailed on his campaign website, was simple: “New York is too expensive. Zohran will lower costs and make life easier.”
One of his ideas to tackle rising costs was to create a city-owned grocery store in each borough. The stores would operate on city-owned land or in city buildings, buy food wholesale and be exempt from property taxes, which would keep the cost of their offerings down, he said.
Experts say the logistics of such a plan are complex, but similar initiatives are already in place in other parts of the United States. Municipalities in Kansas and Wisconsin have operated similar models since 2020 and 2024, and Chicago and Atlanta are working on their own versions.
To fund his affordability initiatives, Mr. Mamdani plans to raise the corporate tax rate to 11.5 percent, which he says will create an additional $5 billion in revenue. He also plans to charge the wealthiest 1 percent of New Yorkers a flat 2 percent tax.
Transportation
Among Mr. Mamdani’s most distinctive campaign promises is his vow to make city buses free. As a state legislator, Mr. Mamdani worked with Gov. Kathy Hochul to start a pilot program offering free fares on five bus routes for a limited period. (He later sought to expand the program, but the pilot was not renewed.)
Mr. Mamdani supports congestion pricing and has said the tolling program is succeeding in reducing smog and improving traffic in Lower Manhattan. Mr. Mamdani, who was raised in Manhattan and lives in Queens, told The New York Times earlier this month that he does not own a car. He rides the subway every day, he said, and often bikes.
In Albany, Mr. Mamdani has been a vocal advocate for a range of investments in New York City’s transportation ecosystem, including funding to improve subway service during weekends and at night. During former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, Mr. Mamdani participated in a 15-day hunger strike in support of the city’s taxi drivers. Ultimately, the city agreed to establish a program to forgive millions of dollars in debt for drivers.
Housing
In outlining his vision for the city, Mr. Mamdani identified the high cost of housing as the leading reason that residents had left New York in recent years. His main campaign promise was to freeze rents for nearly one million New Yorkers via his appointments to the Rent Guidelines Board, which decides on rent increases for stabilized apartments.
He promised to triple the number of available affordable housing units, with 200,000 new homes to be built over the next decade. Mr. Mamdani also said he would double the amount of money the city currently spends to preserve public housing.
Mr. Mamdani told The Times that one political issue he has changed his mind about over the course of his career is “the role of the private market in housing construction,” noting that the private market must be involved if the city is to increase its housing stock.
Immigration
Mr. Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and is a naturalized U.S. citizen, has said that New York City should strengthen its sanctuary laws, which have come under attack during the Trump administration. On his campaign website, Mr. Mamdani pledged to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from city facilities while increasing legal support for immigrants being targeted and protecting their personal data.
“Trump’s ICE has adopted a policy of guilty until proven innocent with immigrant New Yorkers, disappearing New Yorkers from their homes without charge,” he told The Times in April. “Our city should fight for their release while defending the First Amendment and due process rights.”
Child Care
The rising cost of child care is among the most pressing issues for parents in New York City. Mr. Mamdani has promised to make free child care available for children between six weeks and five years old and to deliver “baby baskets” to new parents that would include educational resources and necessities like diapers, baby wipes and swaddles.
For older children, Mr. Mamdani has suggested closing some streets outside schools to car traffic in an effort to reduce the risk of traffic fatalities and pollution affecting students. Mr. Mamdani has also proposed making City University of New York tuition free for all students.
Israel and the War in Gaza
Mr. Mamdani has accused the Israeli government of committing apartheid and genocide in Gaza. His criticism of the Israeli government and its treatment of Palestinians came under fire during the campaign, as did his support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement.
In a podcast interview with The Bulwark days before the primary, Mr. Mamdani declined to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” a phrase that Palestinians and their supporters see as a rallying cry for liberation, but that many Jews consider inherently threatening.
During an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Mr. Mamdani rejected claims that his comments were antisemitic, emphasizing that his platform includes increasing funding for hate-crime prevention by 800 percent.
“Antisemitism is not simply something that we should talk about,” he said. “It’s something that we have to tackle.”
When asked by Mr. Colbert if Israel has a right to exist, Mr. Mamdani said: “Like all nations, I believe it has a right to exist and a responsibility also to uphold international law.”
Public Safety
Mr. Mamdani has proposed creating a Department of Community Safety, separate from the Police Department, to respond to people having mental health crises, and to expand violence interrupter programs. In April, he told The Times that the new department would free up “police resources to increase clearance rates for major crimes.”
Mr. Cuomo and other candidates seized on his expressions of support for major cuts to the department’s budget during his 2020 campaign for State Assembly. But Mr. Mamdani says he now supports keeping the police force at its current size. In the final primary debate, he vowed that he would not “defund the police.”
He said he would, however, curb the department’s massive overtime budget and that he would consider keeping Jessica Tisch on as police commissioner. He has praised some of her policies, like cutting the department’s communications staff and fighting corruption.
Claire Fahy reports on New York City and the surrounding area for The Times.
The post A Look at Zohran Mamdani’s Stances on Key Issues appeared first on New York Times.
