Zohran Mamdani’s Success Is Especially Meaningful for Muslim New Yorkers

Zohran Mamdani’s stunning performance in the Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday amounted to a watershed moment for Muslim New Yorkers, who could see one of their own lead City Hall for the first time should he succeed in the general election in November.

New York City is home to roughly one million Muslims; they made up 12 percent of the electorate in the 2021 mayoral election. Mr. Mamdani wove his faith into his campaign from its earliest days, hitting the trail while fasting for Ramadan and taking his message of affordability to mosques and Muslim community centers throughout the city.

His triumph over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who led in most polls throughout the race, was driven by the diverse coalition of voters he built that included young people, people of color, and first-time and infrequent voters. Muslim voters played a large role in growing that base.

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“A Muslim son of immigrants might become mayor of NYC in part because he cross-endorsed and supported a Jewish candidate and Black candidate, and vice versa,” Wajahat Ali, a liberal commentator, wrote on social media, referring to Mr. Mamdani’s cross-endorsements with Brad Lander and Michael Blake. “It’s a beautiful American story for the rest of us.”

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