NYC Elects Zohran Mamdani as Mayor - What Does This Mean for New Yorkers?

NOTE: This article was written in November 2025. Some facts may be outdated

In NYC’s recent mayoral election on November 4th, Zohran Mamdani was elected to office for his first term in an executive position. Mamdani has previously served on the New York State Assembly but has no prior experience in a government job which requires him to make the calls, even soliciting criticism from opponent Sliwa that his resume “fits on a cocktail napkin”. His progressive socialist policies may be exactly what the city needs to properly address the housing crisis and rising costs of living in New York, and to lead the fight against Trump--if he can manage to execute on his ambitious promises. So what should we expect from these next four years? On the 22nd of October, Mamdani debated his political opponents Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa for the last time before the NYC election. This final mayoral debate provides insight on Mamdani’s plans for the most populated city in the United States.

As expected, president Trump loomed large over the debates. When asked about how he would deal with Trump, Mamdani stated that he would be willing to work with and discuss things with the president so long as whatever they were discussing was to the benefit of New York. However, if Trump attempted to hurt NYC, Mamdani would fight back. This attempted to address Sliwa’s concerns that excessively targeting Trump and refusing to negotiate would only result in Trump cutting federal funds and finding other ways to hurt NYC. Cuomo worries that Trump, who has shown hostility towards Mamdani and openly called him a “communist,” would take the city by force if Mamdani won.

In regards to the homelessness crisis in NYC, Mamdani proposed building affordable housing and freezing rent, as well as supporting existing programs for educational assistance and affordability. Freezing rent could protect the most vulnerable families and stabilize prices temporarily. However, according to Cuomo, it only postpones rent increases and forces landlords to take units off the market. Mamdani has also stated that both tenants and landlords deserve relief. The city government should work to help landlords with rising costs to keep the rent down. While Cuomo argues that the rent guidelines board has authority over rent costs, not the mayor, Mamdani points out that the mayor appoints the 9 people on the board, although these people are appointed to a term and Mamdani will not be able to gain control for a few years.

When asked about re-zoning plans, Mamdani said he will ensure that the public sector builds affordable housing, keeping in mind the median household income. He also proposes to scale up existing housing programs and mentions the benefit of creating jobs through the construction of the new homes. However, when asked whether he supported the 3 housing related charter amendment questions on the NYC ballot, Mamdani’s stance remained unclear.

There are some concerns regarding some of Mamdani’s opinions and actions which made other minority groups feel concerned or uncomfortable. It was noted that many Jewish New Yorkers felt unsafe because of Mamdani’s comments on the situation in Israel, in which he has taken a pro-Palestine stance. Mamdani also refused to denounce the term “globalize entefada,” which means “kill jews.” Mamdani also posted a photo taken with Rebecca Kadaga, the Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda who is known to be homophobic. However, Mamdani claims that he was not aware of Kadaga’s position against homosexuals at the time of taking the photo, or he would not have taken it. He claims to want to be a mayor that works for the good of everyone. He wants to be able to protect, support and celebrate all cultures and identities and supports the Hidden Voice curriculum in schools. He also notes that NYC needs a mayor who takes their fears seriously, which aligns with his history of being willing to change stances if he believed he was wrong. He wishes to ensure that every New Yorker is safe and feels protected every day.

Mamdani also stated that he would keep the current police commissioner, Jessica Tisch. He says that the government must be relentless in pursuit of safety and affordability. He also suggests that mental health experts should be responding to calls about mental health or homelessness, and proposes implementing this into the current system by creating a Department of Community Safety. This would increase efficiency by allowing the NYPD to refocus on criminal calls and delegate quality of life calls to this department. However, Sliwa suggests that Tisch may be unwilling to work with Mamdani due to their clashing ideals: Mamdani’s freeze budget plan would cause reduction in the police force, but he suggests that Tisch believes that increasing the police force would be the best course of action. Additionally, Mamdani supports no cash bails, while Sliwa implies that Tisch is against them. However, Jessica Tisch has not publicly commented on the matter herself, so Sliwa’s claims remain speculative. Mamdani’s opponents also claimed it may be unsafe to send “social workers” instead of cops into potentially dangerous situations. In response, Mamdani said he would trust the agency to make the call if a situation was dangerous or not and leave the decision of whether to send cops or mental health specialists to them. He claimed that similar systems have been implemented elsewhere and have found great success. However, Cuomo argued that it is impossible to tell from a phone call if someone will be dangerous, as mood swings can sometimes be symptoms of mental illness.

Mamdani has stated that he would keep the congestion pricing program in Manhattan. Under the current congestion pricing program, any vehicles entering the Congestion Relief Zone in Manhattan are charged a toll. It is flex-priced, meaning prices differ depending on the time of day. Additionally, Mamdani said he would neither increase nor decrease the number of safe injection sites in NYC -- places where drug users can take drugs through the use of needles. Regarding motorized 2-wheelers such as e-bikes, he also claimed that the NYPD should be holding apps like DoorDash accountable instead of individuals who break traffic laws, such as ignoring red lights.

Many of Mamdani’s ideas are rooted in making things free. He plans to make bus fares free to increase the convenience of public transportation, which will hopefully help address the climate problems by taking some private vehicles off the roads. He also plans to stabilize rent while supporting landlords and to raise the minimum wage to $30 an hour---despite the risk of putting small business owners and landlords out of business. While these ideas are seemingly beneficial, Mamdani has yet to reveal a sufficient plan for how to fund everything without causing the government to go bankrupt or overtaxing. This raises concerns about his ability to execute many of his plans.

Mamdani also claimed he would give up mayoral control over schools, but said he is still in favor of mayoral accountability. Mamdani explains this seemingly controversial statement by clarifying that while he is opposed to mayoral control, the Mayor is accountable for what happens in the city. He wants an education system with greater involvement and authority for parents, educators, and students, not one entirely free from government influence.

In regards to the environment, Mamdani said that local law 97, which places carbon caps on most buildings larger than 25,000 square feet, had to be changed. Currently, it is cheaper for companies to pay the fine than to switch to carbon-efficient infrastructure. He proposed eliminating application fees for J51 (a tax exemption and abatement program) and extending tax credit by creating a government one-stop-shop for heat pumps and other infrastructure. The government would buy these materials and sell them at an economic scale to help companies be able to afford it.

In summary, Zohran Mamdani plans to deal with Trump on a case-by-case basis, prioritizing the wellbeing of NYC. He plans to build affordable housing and freeze rent to remedy the homelessness crisis, as well as supporting existing housing programs, without placing additional stress on landlords. He plans to keep the current police commissioner despite potential incompatibility, believing in her competence and in the importance of a qualified police force. He also plans to create a new Department of Community Safety to address mental health and homelessness problems so that the NYPD can focus on criminal cases. He also proposes free buses, a $30 an hour minimum wage, and a more independent education system, as well as modifying local law 97 to ensure that companies comply with it. Whereas his opponents have already proven what they are capable of through experience, Mamdani is a clean slate who might be the one to lead NYC to greater prosperity--but on the other hand, his lack of experience and idealism may result in the failure of many of his ambitious ideas. Only time will tell if Mamdani will be a mayor for the history books, or another mediocre or potentially ruinous leader.

by AUDREY TANIN

Views expressed above represent the opinion of the author and are not intended to represent Lexspects editorial staff or Lexington High School.