Zohran Mamdani Biography: Early Life
Zohran Kwame Mamdani was born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda. He is the only child of renowned postcolonial scholar Mahmood Mamdani and award-winning filmmaker Mira Nair. His middle name, Kwame, was chosen by his father to honor Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, symbolizing a shared Pan-African vision.
Both of his parents are of Indian descent. His father, a Gujarati Muslim, was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) but raised in Uganda, while his mother, a Punjabi Hindu, was born in Rourkela and raised in Odisha, India. His maternal grandmother, Praveen Nair, was a social worker who founded the Salaam Baalak Trust for street children in India.
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The family lived in Kampala until Zohran was five years old before relocating to Cape Town, South Africa, where his father began teaching African studies at the University of Cape Town. Zohran attended St. George’s Grammar School in Mowbray. In 1998, the family moved to New York City, settling in Morningside Heights.
In 2003, he spent a year back in Uganda while his father worked on his book Good Muslim, Bad Muslim. During that time, Zohran lived with his grandparents and attended school in Kampala. His early life across three continents Africa, Asia, and North America, shaped his global outlook and awareness of inequality. He once described his childhood as “privileged,” noting that while he never lacked anything, he was always aware that most people around him didn’t share that comfort.
Zohran Mamdani Biography: Family Background
Mamdani grew up surrounded by deep intellectual and creative influences. His father’s academic work on colonialism and his mother’s acclaimed films, such as Salaam Bombay! and Monsoon Wedding, filled his upbringing with discussions about politics, justice, and art.
He holds dual citizenship in Uganda and the United States (naturalized in 2018) and stays connected with his extended family in East Africa and India. Growing up in a multicultural household made him multilingual. He speaks English fluently and has some command of Hindi-Urdu, Bengali, Spanish, and Arabic.
Personal Life
Zohran Mamdani practices Twelver Shia Islam, and his faith influences his empathy-driven political and social values. In 2021, he met Rama Duwaji, an animator and illustrator, through a dating app. The couple got engaged in October 2024, held a private Islamic wedding (nikah) that December, and officially married at New York City Hall in February 2025.
They live in Astoria, Queens, and maintain a relatively private life. Mamdani is a passionate cricket fan, having co-founded his high school’s first team, and he also enjoys soccer, hip-hop, and attending community iftars. As of late 2025, the couple does not have children, but Mamdani has expressed excitement about becoming a parent in the future.
Education
Mamdani’s schooling reflected his parents’ belief in progressive education. He attended Bank Street School for Children in Manhattan, where he first showed interest in politics—winning a middle school mock election on a platform supporting equal rights and anti-war policies.
He completed high school at The Bronx High School of Science in 2010, where he helped start the school’s cricket team and ran for student body vice president. He went on to study Africana Studies at Bowdoin College in Maine, graduating in 2014. While there, he co-founded the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and wrote his thesis on racial identity and postcolonial politics, blending his multicultural background with academic research.
Pre-Political Career: Housing Advocacy
After college, Mamdani worked as a housing counselor in Queens from 2014 to 2017, helping low-income families and immigrants facing foreclosure during the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. His experiences assisting struggling homeowners exposed him to the harsh realities of economic inequality and motivated him to enter politics.
He later volunteered for Ali Najmi’s 2015 City Council campaign and worked with Make the Road New York, advocating for fair wages and better healthcare for working-class residents.
Musical Pursuits
In addition to politics, Mamdani has a creative side rooted in his love for hip-hop. Performing under names like Young Cardamom and Mr. Cardamom, he uses music to celebrate South Asian and African diaspora culture.
In 2015, he teamed up with Ugandan rapper HAB to release “Kanda Chap Chap,” a song about chapati, a common Ugandan-Indian street food. Their 2016 EP, Sidda Mukyaalo (“No going back to the village” in Luganda), mixed several African and South Asian languages to challenge stereotypes about immigrant identities.
Mamdani later released “Nani” in 2019 as a tribute to his grandmother Praveen Nair, with renowned actress and cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey appearing in the music video. He also worked as a music supervisor on his mother’s film Queen of Katwe (2016), earning a nomination at the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards.
Early Political Involvement
Inspired by Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, Mamdani joined the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in 2017. He managed Khader El-Yateem’s City Council campaign that same year and Ross Barkan’s 2018 State Senate bid. In 2019, he helped organize Tiffany Cabán’s progressive campaign for Queens District Attorney, further developing his grassroots organizing skills.
New York State Assembly Career (2021–2025)
In October 2019, Mamdani announced his run for the 36th Assembly District seat representing Astoria and Long Island City. Running on a DSA-backed platform focused on affordable housing, public transit, and criminal justice reform, he defeated five-term incumbent Aravella Simotas in the 2020 Democratic primary and won the general election unopposed.
He was re-elected in 2022 and 2024, becoming one of the youngest Muslim lawmakers in New York State. As part of the DSA’s Socialist in Office bloc, he served on several committees and sponsored over 20 bills, including initiatives for fare-free buses, affordable housing, and taxi debt relief.
One of his key accomplishments was launching a fare-free bus pilot program in 2023, which significantly increased ridership and reduced assaults before expiring in 2024. He also pushed for Good Cause Eviction protections, rent freezes, and better funding for the MTA.
2025 New York City Mayoral Campaign
Mamdani announced his mayoral campaign on October 23, 2024, running on a platform of equity, affordability, and community-led governance. His campaign gained traction through viral online content, endorsements from progressive figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), and strong grassroots organizing.
In June 2025, he won the Democratic primary against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and in November, he narrowly defeated Cuomo (running as an independent) and Republican Curtis Sliwa to become New York City’s 111th mayor-elect. At 34, he is the youngest mayor since 1892 and the first South Asian, first Muslim, first African-born, and first Millennial to hold the office.
Political Positions and Platform
Mamdani’s policies reflect his democratic socialist ideals. He supports free public transit, rent stabilization, higher taxes on wealthy corporations, and universal childcare. He also plans to create city-owned grocery stores, expand affordable housing, and raise the minimum wage to $30 by 2030.
On public safety, he advocates for community-based solutions rather than police expansion, focusing on mental health services, violence prevention, and homelessness outreach. Environmentally, he backs a Green New Deal for New York City, promoting clean energy, congestion pricing, and school retrofitting projects.
Socially, he supports LGBTQ+ rights, universal healthcare, and anti-discrimination measures, while emphasizing education and family welfare programs.
Foreign Policy Views
Mamdani has been outspoken on international issues, particularly Palestine, supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. He has condemned both Hamas attacks and Israel’s actions in Gaza, calling the latter “apartheid” and “genocide.”
He supports sanctions against war crimes worldwide but criticizes U.S. policies that harm civilians. He has also denounced Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, comparing him to Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.
Influences and Public Persona
Mamdani credits his parents for shaping his values and Bernie Sanders for inspiring his political activism. He also admires reformist mayors like Michelle Wu of Boston and Brandon Scott of Baltimore for their progressive city policies.
Known for his charisma and energy, Mamdani often connects with younger voters through speeches, protests, and social media. His 2024 memoir, From Kampala to Albany, reflects on identity, struggle, and the power of collective action.
Despite criticism over his outspoken views on Israel, a 2025 poll showed increasing support among Jewish New Yorkers, especially younger voters. His mayoral win has positioned him as a rising figure in national progressive politics.
Disclaimer
The information in this article was curated from Wikipedia. All details cannot be independently verified by Daily News 24 or its editorial team
