left side
vote for the zocialist
Niko Curwin-Amfitheatrof
Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist whose whirlwind rise in the New York City mayoral race has attracted large attention, from both the media and New Yorkers themselves. His campaign was assembled upon a moral high ground with the focus on working-class people who make our great city what it is.
His campaign slogan states, “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.”
The newlywed mayoral candidate is running with the promise to lower the cost of living and to “make life easier” through his idea of fiscal flexibility. Quite the promise when you are talking about the financial capital of the world.
Zohran Kwame Mamdani, born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda. At age 7, his family moved to New York, leading him to grow up on the Upper West Side. Mamdani graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and earned a BA in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College. Mamdani has deep roots with the city and understands what being a New Yorker means, as well as all that comes along with it.
Before his mayoral campaign, Mamdani served as the New York State Assemblymember for the 36th District in Queens since 2021, after defeating a four-term incumbent. His tenure was marked by progressive démarches, including a 15-day hunger strike that led to over $450 million in debt relief for taxi drivers. Quite the resume, right?
Now, in 2025, he has decided to throw his hat in the ring to lead his hometown. Mamdani proposes ambitious policies aimed at reducing living costs for working-class New Yorkers. These include freezing rents for stabilized tenants, making all city buses fare-free, providing universal free childcare, and establishing city-run grocery stores to lower food prices, one store per borough, to be exact. To fund these initiatives, he suggests raising corporate taxes and implementing a flat tax on millionaires, aiming to generate $9.4 billion annually. Vote Mamdani, tax the rich, and give to the poor. Critics argue that his proposals are fiscally unrealistic and could lead to economic challenges for the city. However, Mamdani maintains that his policies are necessary to address the affordability crisis and support working families in New York City. When analysing the current state of New York with huge emigration rates, how can the next mayor make this a city people want, and CAN live in?
When speaking about this election, we have to mention his biggest rival and current mayor, Eric Adams, who is held in mixed regard by New Yorkers after his corruption charges last year. Now, as the primary at the end of June creeps closer, citizens are starting to examine who they might favour. When you look at the top three candidates in Cuomo, Adams, and Mamdani, Zhoran is our guy, despite some of his goals seeming grandiose. I believe that he is the man.
