Zohran Kwame Mamdani
Zohran Kwame Mamdani (Democratic Party) is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing District 36. He assumed office on January 1, 2021. His current term ends on January 1, 2027.
Mamdani (Democratic Party) is running for election for Mayor of New York. He declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on June 24, 2025.[source]
Biography
Zohran Kwame Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda.[1][2] Mamdani graduated from Bronx High School of Science. He earned a bachelor's degree in Africana studies from Bowdoin College. Mamdani's career experience includes working as a foreclosure prevention housing counselor.[2]
2025 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the June 24 primary election as a battleground race. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, Mayoral election in New York, New York, 2025 (June 24 Democratic primary)
Twelve candidates are running for the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York on June 24, 2025. Eight have led in polling and fundraising: Eric Adams, Adrienne Adams, Andrew Cuomo, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, and Scott Stringer.
City & State NY's Annie McDonough wrote "The 2025 mayoral race will be one of the first tests for how New York Democrats confront a rightward shift in a reliably blue city."[3] In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump made gains with traditionally Democratic-leaning groups across the city, and Kamala Harris (D) won the city by 37 points, down from Joe Biden's (D) 54-point win in 2020 and Hillary Clinton's (D) 63-point win in 2016.[4] Trump's performance was the best for a Republican candidate for president since George H.W. Bush (R) in 1988.[5]
Eric Adams is the incumbent mayor, first elected in 2021. According to Politico's Sally Goldenberg, Adams said in an interview that he is focusing on "the parts of his record he feels go unnoticed: reduced unemployment for Black New Yorkers, expansion of broadband for public housing residents, retiring medical debt."[6] He is also campaigning on improving public safety and says, "There are those in the city who have made up their mind — we are going to continue to commit crimes no matter what you say. And we keep allowing them to do it. The judges have to get on board, our lawmakers have to get on board."[6]
Adrienne Adams announced her campaign on March 5, 2025.[7] She has served as city council speaker since 2022. In a statement announcing her candidacy, Adams said, "New Yorkers can’t afford to live here, City Hall is in chaos, and Donald Trump is corrupting our city’s independence. It’s time to stand up."[8]
Cuomo was Governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. Cuomo is campaigning on affordability and said "With the right leadership, we will restore affordability and help ensure that New York remains a place where all have the opportunity to succeed and thrive."[9] He is also campaigning on fighting antisemitism. His website said, "The rise of antisemitism across the world, in our nation, and even here in New York City, is repulsive and will be met with all the legal and moral force needed to ensure that no New Yorker feels victimized or threatened."[10]
Lander is the incumbent city comptroller, first elected in 2021. Lander says he is focused on providing the best solutions to the city regardless of ideology and says, "There are so many priorities that New Yorkers overwhelmingly agree with whether they are conservative or moderate or progressive."[11] He is also campaigning on ending homelessness, and says his plan would focus on "connecting people with stable housing and services."[12]
Mamdani is a state Assemblyman for District 36. Mamdani is campaigning on the cost of living and says, "[it's] the outrageous cost of living that most people are talking about. New Yorkers are being crushed by rent and child care. Working people are getting pushed out of the city they built."[13] He has proposed a rent freeze on apartments, and his website says he would "immediately freeze the rent for all stabilized tenants, and use every available resource to build the housing New Yorkers need and bring down the rent."[14]
Myrie is a state Senator for District 20. He is campaigning on the cost of housing and says he is running for mayor "because we need a vision as big as the challenges we face — and that starts with tackling our housing crisis."[15] He is also running on hiring up to 3,000 more police officers and says, "What we are feeling right now in this city is a sense of disorder in our public spaces, and I believe that our police officers play a role in keeping us safe."[16]
Ramos is a state Senator for District 13. Ramos supports creating an affordable childcare program for the city. Her website says she would "Introduc[e] the Early Learning Childcare Act to provide affordable, high-quality care for families across New York, supporting both children and working parents."[17] She also is campaigning on reducing homelessness and says she will declare homelessness a public health emergency, saying, "I will declare a mental health emergency on Day 1 of my administration so we can deliver services to suffering New Yorkers swiftly and effectively."[18]
Stringer was the city's comptroller from 2014 to 2022. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2021. Stringer is campaigning against corruption and says, "New York City needs a proven reformer to clean up City Hall and get the government back to delivering for people in this city."[19] He is also campaigning to make childcare more affordable and says, "It’s time to rewrite the rules with transformative solutions that make childcare affordable, accessible, and fair for every parent in every neighborhood."[20]
In the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election, observers have debated how the results will affect candidate messaging. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine (D) called the results a "shift in the tectonic plates of New York City...It’s too soon to know how much Democratic leadership will hear that message. But...you do see it in the mayor's race, where pretty much every candidate is talking about the affordability crisis, public housing, childcare, and even public safety."[21] Democratic strategist Eli Valentin says that the 2024 presidential results reflected concerns over economic and public safety and that "[c]andidates who can address this concern...whether progressive or moderate-are likely to gain significant support."[21] John Jay College of Criminal Justice Prof. Susan Kang says a progressive candidate could also win if they take advantage of the city's ranked-choice voting (RCV) system, saying, "What matters is they have to have some messaging around ‘rank us one or two. Otherwise it’s going to be Cuomo."[22]
Michael Blake (D), Corinne Fisher (D), Deirdre Levy (D), and Whitney Tilson (D) are also running.
This is the third election in the city that has used ranked-choice voting. The system allows voters to rank up to five candidates, and if their first candidate is eliminated, it will allow their vote to be transferred to a different candidate. Voters can still pick only one candidate or rank less than five. This system is only used in the primary.[23]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at:editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Mamdani was assigned to the following committees:
- Aging Committee
- Cities Committee
- Election Law Committee
- Energy Committee
- Real Property Taxation Committee
2021-2022
Mamdani was assigned to the following committees:
- Aging Committee
- Cities Committee
- Election Law Committee
- Energy Committee
- Real Property Taxation Committee
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2025
See also: Mayoral election in New York, New York (2025)
General election
The primary will occur on June 24, 2025. The general election will occur on November 4, 2025. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for Mayor of New York
James Manning and James Walden are running in the general election for Mayor of New York on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| James Manning (R) | ||
| James Walden (Independent) | ||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Mayor of New York
The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for Mayor of New York on June 24, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Eric Adams | ||
| Adrienne Adams | ||
| Michael Blake | ||
| Andrew Cuomo | ||
| Corinne Fisher | ||
| Brad Lander | ||
| Deirdre Levy | ||
| Zohran Kwame Mamdani | ||
| Zellnor Myrie | ||
| Jessica Ramos | ||
| Scott Stringer | ||
| Whitney Tilson | ||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Mayor of New York
The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for Mayor of New York on June 24, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Joe Alny | ||
| Darren Dione Aquino | ||
| Naomi Coley | ||
| Gonzalo Duran | ||
| John Harris | ||
| Montell Moseley | ||
| Fátimazöhra Nouinou | ||
| David Rem | ||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2024
See also: New York State Assembly elections, 2024
General election
General election for New York State Assembly District 36
Incumbent Zohran Kwame Mamdani won election in the general election for New York State Assembly District 36 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Zohran Kwame Mamdani (D / Working Families Party) | 98.5 | 37,911 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.5 | 596 | ||
| Total votes: 38,507 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Zohran Kwame Mamdani advanced from the Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 36.
Working Families Party primary election
The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Incumbent Zohran Kwame Mamdani advanced from the Working Families Party primary for New York State Assembly District 36.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Mamdani in this election.
2022
See also: New York State Assembly elections, 2022
General election
General election for New York State Assembly District 36
Incumbent Zohran Kwame Mamdani won election in the general election for New York State Assembly District 36 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Zohran Kwame Mamdani (D / Working Families Party) | 98.6 | 24,090 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.4 | 338 | ||
| Total votes: 24,428 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Zohran Kwame Mamdani advanced from the Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 36.
Working Families Party primary election
The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Incumbent Zohran Kwame Mamdani advanced from the Working Families Party primary for New York State Assembly District 36.
2020
See also: New York State Assembly elections, 2020
General election
General election for New York State Assembly District 36
Zohran Kwame Mamdani won election in the general election for New York State Assembly District 36 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Zohran Kwame Mamdani (D) | 98.5 | 38,221 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.5 | 596 | ||
| Total votes: 38,817 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 36
Zohran Kwame Mamdani defeated incumbent Aravella Simotas in the Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 36 on June 23, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Zohran Kwame Mamdani | 51.2 | 8,410 | |
| Aravella Simotas | 48.6 | 7,987 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 30 | ||
| Total votes: 16,427 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
To view Mamdani's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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2024
Zohran Kwame Mamdani did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Zohran Kwame Mamdani did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Zohran Kwame Mamdani completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mamdani's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, and grew up in New York City after my family moved here when I was seven years old. I graduated from Bronx Science and now work as a housing counselor, helping immigrant families facing eviction stay in the homes they worked their whole lives to earn. I am running for State Assembly because it's time to guarantee housing to all New Yorkers as a right, regardless of ability to pay. It's time to desegregate our schools, fully eliminate cash bail, ban solitary confinement, fund and fix the MTA, end workplace discrimination, and fight for social, racial, economic, and environmental justice for the many, not the few.
- We need to stop treating housing as a commodity from which private developers can extract exorbitant profits, and start guaranteeing it as a human right for all.
- Energy should be a public resource, not a for-profit commodity. We need to eliminate the profit motive from our energy system and empower the working class to reverse decades of disinvestment in frontline communities that have borne the brunt of environmental degradation and who are most imminently threatened by accelerating climate catastrophe.
- I believe that people should not have to endure the violence and coercion of a criminal-legal system that props up the exploitation of the market by surveilling, caging, and killing those fighting to survive under capitalism.
The housing crisis we're facing in NY isn't restricted to low-income homeowners; it's impacting renters too. Half of all tenants in Astoria are spending a third or more of their income on rent. I spend more than half of my paycheck on rent, just like a quarter of my neighbors. Yet our landlords can refuse to renew our leases, evict us without good cause, and raise our rents whenever they like to prices we can't afford to pay.
I know that we'll never win the rights we all deserve - rights to healthcare, housing, education, nutrition, childcare, and public power - without a grassroots movement of the working class rising up to demand them. Another world is possible, but only if we fight for it together.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
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Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of New York scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the New York State Legislature was in session from January 3 to June 8.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the New York State Legislature was in session from January 4 to June 21.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the New York State Legislature was in session from January 5 to June 4.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the New York State Legislature was in session from January 6 to June 10.
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See also
2025 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Mayor of New York |
Officeholder New York State Assembly District 36 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 9, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 New York State Assembly, "Zohran Mamdani - Assembly District 36," accessed March 25, 2021
- ↑ City & State NY, "In 2025 mayoral race, Trump backlash isn’t a given this time," November 9, 2024
- ↑ The New York Times, "New York City Is Still a Democratic Town. But Trump Made Inroads.," November 6, 2024
- ↑ The New York Times, "Trump Gained 95,000 Votes in New York City. Democrats Lost Half a Million.," November 22, 2024
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Politico, "Down but not out: Eric Adams enters reelection year with a narrow path to victory," January 6, 2025
- ↑ Politico, "Top Dem launches late run for New York City mayor," March 5, 2025
- ↑ Politico, "Top Dem launches late run for New York City mayor," March 5, 2025
- ↑ The New York Times, "Cuomo’s First Mayoral Campaign Promise: A Plan to Tackle Affordability," March 3, 2025
- ↑ Andrew Cuomo 2025 campaign website, "On the issues," accessed March 5, 2025
- ↑ City & State NY, September 19, 2024
- ↑ The Nation, "NYC Mayoral Candidate Brad Lander Makes His Case," August 5,2024
- ↑ The New York Times, "Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, Will Run Against Mayor Adams," October 22, 2024
- ↑ Zohran Mamdani 2025 campaign website, "Platform," accessed February 5, 2025
- ↑ BKReader, "Housing Takes Center Stage as Brooklyn State Senator Joins Mayoral Race," December 3, 2024
- ↑ The New York Times, "Why an N.Y.C. Mayoral Candidate Who Sued the Police Wants More Officers," January 29, 2015
- ↑ Jessica Ramos 2025 campaign website, "Investing in Our Children’s Future," accessed February 5, 2025
- ↑ The New York Times, "Lander Vows to End Street Homelessness for Mentally Ill People as Mayor," January 13, 2025
- ↑ The New York Times, "Adams Is Denied Public Matching Funds, Hampering Re-election Campaign," December 16, 2024
- ↑ Scott Stringer 2025 campaign website "Rebuilding NYC's future," accessed February 5, 2025
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Jewish Insider, "Red shift in New York City creates opening for moderate mayoral candidate," November 26, 2024
- ↑ The New York Times, "Progressives Are Done With Eric Adams. Can They Elect One of Their Own?" January 27, 2025
- ↑ The City, "How Does Ranked Choice Voting Work in New York City?" March 23, 2023
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Aravella Simotas (D) |
New York State Assembly District 36 2021-Present |
Succeeded by - |
