NYC Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani talks political policies, including tax proposal, rent freezes
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- According to polls, Zohran Mamdani is Andrew Cuomo's closest competitor in the New York mayoral primary.
He's 33 and has been in the New York State Assembly since 2021.
He has a big political platform, and if elected, he would be the first Muslim mayor of New York.
Mamdani, also known as Mr. Cardamom, even recorded a rap song.
But now he's on a different microphone, this time on the political stage to run for the mayor of New York City.
"It took us months to knock 150,000 doors; we just knocked that amount in the last 7 days," Mamdani said.
Will that get the 33-year-old Democratic socialist across the primary finish line?
Mamdani says absolutely, with the help of some progressive friends.
"To those New Yorkers who have never heard of me, they know that if they want a fight, they listen to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she's telling them that we will be that fighter," Mamdani said.
Mamdani was born in 1991 in Uganda, where his parents met.
At the time, his mother, then a filmmaker working on the movie Mississippi Masala, remembered reading a book based on the same subject.
"When she went to Uganda for research, she met him because she knew he was that author, and they fell in love," Mamdani said.
His father is a Columbia University professor.
The family moved to South Africa and eventually settled in New York City, specifically Morningside Heights, when Mamdani was 7.
He attended Bank Street Bronx Science and a few years after graduating from Bowdoin College in Maine, he became an American citizen.
In November of 2020, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, representing Queens' 36th district, a seat he still holds.
His political resume is short, yet his mayoral campaign list of must-dos is long.
It includes elder care, higher minimum wage, free city buses and a rent freeze for stabilized apartments.
"Where are we finding all of this money for all of these programs?" Mamdani was asked.
"We will raise the corporate tax rate in New York State to match that of New Jersey to bring 7.25 percent to 11.5 percent, which raises $5 billion," Mamdani said.
If you add a flat 2 percent tax for those making $1 million annually, he believes it will generate over $9 billion and, as he puts it, "Trump-proof our city."
While in College, Mamdani co-founded "Students For Justice in Palestine" and has called Israel's actions during the war genocide.
"I believe in the notion of freedom and justice and safety for all people, be it Israeli or Palestinian. Anti-Semitism is a real issue that deserves to be tackled not just talked about," Mamdani said.
If elected, Mamdani would be the city's first Muslim, Indian American Mayor.
NYC PRIMARY ELECTION RESOURCES
Up Close Election Special: Closer look at the candidates for New York City mayor
How to register to vote in NY, NJ, and CT
How to vote early in the NYC mayoral primary
Ranked-choice voting explained: What to know for NYC mayoral election
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