A newly empowered Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday vowed to use his convincing victory in the New York City mayor’s race as a mandate to push an ambitious progressive agenda past potential obstacles, from billionaire antagonists to Albany bureaucracy.
In a shift from the mollifying tone he had used for months, Mr. Mamdani made clear that while he would govern for all New Yorkers, he was determined to deliver for those who had been agitating for structural change.
“I’m also looking to be clear about the mandate that we won over the course of this election, and it is a mandate to deliver on the agenda that we ran on,” he said in a phone interview on Wednesday afternoon after a celebratory lunch with his progressive ally Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
The shift in tone was most striking when it came to his plan to raise taxes on the wealthy. In recent weeks, Mr. Mamdani had conveyed an openness to finding creative ways to pay for his signature policy initiative, universal child care, indicating that he was not necessarily set on raising taxes. There was plenty of revenue in the existing budget, he suggested.
On Wednesday, Mr. Mamdani said his call to tax the wealthy was also about fairness. He said that New Yorkers who had voted for him were eager for billionaires like Elon Musk to pay more taxes. On Monday, the day before the election, droves of Mr. Mamdani’s supporters marched with him over the Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise, chanting, “Tax the rich!”
“My supporters and our movement are hungry for a politics of consistency — a politics that actually focuses on the needs of working people,” Mr. Mamdani said. “I think that our tax system is an example of the many ways in which working people have been betrayed.”
But the mayor-elect’s support for tax increases could put him at odds with Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat whose endorsement in September was significant as Mr. Mamdani sought to consolidate Democratic support. Ms. Hochul, a moderate Democrat who is running for re-election next year, has strongly opposed any tax increases.
The interview on Wednesday echoed Mr. Mamdani’s fiery victory speech on Tuesday evening, which took a more confrontational and at times boastful tone. The address was criticized by some observers as a “character switch” from his more congenial attitude during the campaign.
Mr. Mamdani said his tone was intentional. He was seeking to be “bold,” he said, and to show that the status quo was not acceptable.
His confidence is understandable. He is the first New York City mayoral candidate since John V. Lindsay in 1969 to win over one million votes, motivating first-time voters and generating enthusiasm that many of his supporters compared to Barack Obama’s presidential victory in 2008.
After securing an upset victory in the June Democratic primary over his main rival, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo — and the business titans and power brokers backing him — Mr. Mamdani beat Mr. Cuomo again in the general election.
In his victory speech, Mr. Mamdani dismissed the former governor, saying, “Let tonight be the final time I utter his name.” And he warned President Trump, “To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us.”
After a campaign marked by attacks over his Muslim faith, his youth and his left-leaning politics, Mr. Mamdani was defiant: “I refuse to apologize for any of this.”
Mr. Mamdani said on Wednesday that he had not yet asked for a meeting with Mr. Trump, but that he was considering doing so before he takes office.
“I’m looking forward to speaking with the president about how to serve New Yorkers and tackle the cost-of-living crisis that he ran on addressing,” he said.
Mr. Mamdani said he would move quickly to fortify the city against threats from the White House, strategizing with advisers and moving to hire 200 city lawyers to be ready to fight the Trump administration in court.
“I’m looking forward to the work that we will do over these next 57 days, to not only deliver on our agenda, but also to start to protect New Yorkers with the least from the man with the most power in this country,” he said.
The mayor-elect seemed both exhilarated and exhausted, having slept little before returning to a frenetic schedule of interviews and a news conference to announce his transition team.
Given the demands of the job, mayors often seek an outlet to escape the pressure. Michael R. Bloomberg took frequent trips to Bermuda. Bill de Blasio spent leisurely mornings at his favorite gym in Park Slope. The outgoing mayor, Eric Adams, was fond of visiting exclusive nightclubs like Zero Bond.
Asked if there was anything he would keep from his life before becoming mayor, even if it might get him into trouble, Mr. Mamdani laughed and mentioned his favorite caffeinated beverage.
“I will continue to drink Adeni chai,” he said. “I’m just not sure where I’ll be doing it.”
Emma G. Fitzsimmons is the City Hall bureau chief for The Times, covering Mayor Eric Adams and his administration.
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