Illustrated by Hannah Chacko.
While the field for the 2025 New York City mayoral race is littered with familiar names, one millennial is making waves: Zohran Mamdani.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani serves as the State Assemblyman for New York District 36, representing Astoria, Queens.
In the face of Trump’s performance in New York during the presidential race, mayoral candidates Brad Lander and Scott Stringer have tried to ditch the progressive label to appeal to those whose political affiliations are more centered.
But Mamdani, 33, has not shied away from his left-wing ideologies and locked down the Democratic Socialists of New York’s endorsement. Mamdani is an openly vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, introducing a bill last year addressed at curtailing financial support to Israeli settlements. It did not pass.
Since he declared his candidacy in October, he has topped the donation charts with an impressive $641,816 from 6,502 donors. The campaign estimates that at least $300,000 will be matched by the city’s 8-1 public financing program, bringing their total to over $3,000,000.
The Envoy spoke with Mamdani about his plans to help New York City, and subsequently, CUNY students.
Increase CUNY Funding Through REPAIR Act
Construction on the Hunter College campus during the fall 2024 semester. (Photo Credit: Alex Augenbraun)
In Dec. 2023, Mamdani and State Senator John Liu announced their plan to revoke the property tax exempt status of private universities whose holdings would otherwise pay over $100 million per year and divert those funds to CUNY, called Repeal Egregious Property Accumulation and Invest It Right (REPAIR).
“CUNY has been systematically underfunded for decades,” Mamdani said. “And it desperately deserves to get the funding it needs.”
Two universities surpass the $100 million threshold: New York University with $142 million, and Columbia University at $179 million.
An analysis by student newspaper Columbia Spectator, found the university has 245 properties in New York City, making it the largest land-owner in the city.
These property-tax-exemptions are in the New York State constitution. To amend it, the bill must pass in two consecutive legislation sessions in order for it to appear as a ballot-referendum, where New Yorkers will have the final say.
“I do believe we are starting to build momentum,” Mamdani said. “We have some incredible student organizers who have been leading the charge in informing students across CUNY, Columbia and NYU.”
ICE Deportations
The Trump administration promised to carry out historic deportations of migrants, with a special focus on liberal cities.
The House Oversight Committee sent a letter summoning Mayor Eric Adams, along with the mayors of Chicago, Boston and Denver, to appear on Feb. 11, claiming they are refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
“Mayor Adams has made clear that New York City is committed to working with our federal partners to fix our broken immigration system and focus on the smaller number of people who are entering our localities and committing violent crimes,” said a statement by Adams office. “We will review the letter and respond accordingly.”
Mamdani made it clear that unlike Adams, he would not cooperate with federal deportations.
“It targets the very fabric of our city,” Mamdani said. “They are New Yorkers, no matter what Trump says about them. As mayor, I will use every tool available, both legal and political, to stand up for them.”
Commenting on a recent raid of a small business in Newark where ICE detained multiple US citizens and three workers without a warrant, Mamdani said “it shows a complete lack of interest or respect for the Fourth Amendment.”
Free MTA Buses
In 2024, Mamdani created a pilot for a fare-free bus program, where one bus line from each borough became free.
The MTA reported a 30% increase in riders on weekdays and 38% on weekends. The pilot, which lasted nine months, cost the state $12.3 million.
Mamdani hopes to ride the success by expanding the program to all routes and “take New Yorkers off private transportation by giving them affordable and safe public transportation,” he said.
Rent Freezes
It was Jan. 1. A few hundred brave New Yorkers welcomed the New Year on a beach in Coney Island by running into the frigid ocean. Amongst the crowd of plungers, dressed in a blue suit, was Mamdani.
“I’m freezing…” said Mamdani in the video, “Your rent as the next mayor of New York City.”
The NYC Rent Guidelines Board can implement a rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments, preventing landlords from increasing rents for a set period.
“I will use the power of the mayor to freeze the rent for the more than 2 million New Yorkers who live in rent stabilized units to ensure they return to what they were.” Mamdani said.
Under Eric Adams, the Rent Guidelines Board voted to increase the rent for rent-stabilized housing each year (2022-2024), a departure from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, which froze the rent in three different years.
At the Mayoral Forum on Housing at Fordham University School of Law in December, Mamdani pointed to data released by the RGB showing landlords are increasing rent at a higher rate than their expenses.
“We are also going to construct hundreds of thousands of affordable units across New York City,” Mamdani said, his plan for which he anticipates to be released in the next few weeks.
The Path to Victory
Before winning his seat in 2019, Mamdani worked on three failed campaigns.
“I learned many lessons working on those races.” Mamdani said. “The most critical thing I learned was to build out a campaign beyond the campaign.”
“It can’t be a message that one person is going to be elected and save us from the lives we are currently living. That person has to be a messenger on behalf of a larger movement, one that is composed of the very working class people who stand to be pushed out of the city they built, they love and can not afford.”
The Envoy 
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