Zohran Mamdani and the coming battle for New York

“On November 4, we celebrate Zohran, go home, get some sleep, and prepare to fight the National Guard the next day,” a friend of mine tells me about their plans for the mayoral election in New York.

None of this feels far-fetched. Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old Democratic Socialist assemblyman turned mayoral candidate looks set to win the election, and become mayor of New York City. He is polling 10 points ahead of his main rival, former New York state governor Andrew Cuomo, whom he had already defeated in the Democratic primaries.

The second part – preparing to fight – is no dystopian fantasy. The National Guard has been deployed in major democratic cities. Last week, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) descended on Canal Street in downtown as a warning shot. Trump has promised to punish New York by sending in troops and cutting federal funding if they elect Mamdani.

But New Yorkers are ready to face the music. Zohran Mamdani has already given them one thing they haven’t had in a while: hope.

My American friends have always reassured me that New York was nothing like the rest of the country.

I remembered seeing the crowds of the Women’s March and pictures of the Black Lives Matter street mural in front of the Trump Tower on 5^th Avenue, and as I settled into this diverse and politically active Democratic haven, New York City felt like a sanctuary while America was undergoing rapid change.

But ever since the presidential election, New York has felt increasingly like the rest of America. It didn’t turn Republican, but the ghost of Trumpism has arrived.

Trump won the popular vote. The Democrats fumbled the campaign and showed no signs of life after the defeat. Instead of resistance, gloom and scepticism came to define political conversations, as people adjusted to the new normal, which was loud and overpowering. In a way, it was designed precisely to create apathy.

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There was also local political drama. While New York City’s Democratic mayor Eric Adams was indicted for various corruption charges months before Trump came to power, it was the president who threw him a lifeline: as Adams cosied up to Trump, the Department of Justice dropped charges against him in February. New Yorkers hoped for the resignation of their disgraced leader, only to see him saved by another one.

Then ICE came to town, dragging university students into detention centres, and leaving the city’s diverse community in fear. Even the broad daylight assassination of a healthcare CEO and a mass shooting targeting the NFL headquarters felt like storylines from another America – except that these happened in the heart of Manhattan.

But in among all the Democratic apathy, Zohran Mamdani quietly built a grassroots movement, and he did it by appealing to the one thing New Yorkers loved the most: being New Yorkers.

Most New Yorkers don’t live lavish lives and despise the ones who do. Renting, grocery shopping and transport pose a huge challenge for the majority, from families on food stamps to university graduates. Mamdani’s agenda; free buses, rent freezing, affordable housing, city-owned grocery stores and abolishing childcare costs reflect this. His idea that it must come through taxing the rich has attracted the masses of NYC in a way that Trump never could.

Most New Yorkers are outspoken, loud and unapologetic. Mamdani, a young millennial, nails the tone of the moment: he understands the memes, easily navigates podcasts, and he is relatable to the extent that my friends said that we should invite him to our recent house party, because he would probably say yes.

He is a proud Muslim and an even prouder advocate for New York’s diversity, which alone defines the city. And just as he leans into criticism of his age and background, he’s vocal about his left-wing, economic justice based agenda; doesn’t shy away from expressing support for Palestine, and has a whole chapter in his program on “Trump-proofing NYC”.

Ever since Mamdani’s victory in the primaries, the political climate has felt different in New York. The “No Kings” protests against Trump’s tyranny attracted hundreds of thousands across all five boroughs. When ICE raided Canal Street, New Yorkers showed up to resist the arrests and arranged a protest for the next day. And as the Democratic establishment became a spectator to Trump’s assault on democracy, Mamdani appeared on stage with fellow progressives Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Queens, attracting a massive crowd.

Zohran Mamdani will become mayor of New York. Barring a miracle, Trump will unleash his wrath on the city soon after. New Yorkers are ready for both.