History of Zohran Mamdani in Timeline

Zohran Kwame Mamdani is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, serving as the 112th mayor of New York City since January 2026. Prior to his mayoral role, he represented Astoria, Queens, in the New York State Assembly for the 36th district from 2021 to 2025.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

October 18, 1991: Zohran Mamdani's Birth

On October 18, 1991, Zohran Kwame Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda.

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1996: Attends St. George's Grammar School

From 1996, Mamdani attended St. George's Grammar School in Mowbray, Cape Town, during the early post-apartheid years.

1998: Attends St. George's Grammar School until 1998

Mamdani attended St. George's Grammar School until 1998 in Mowbray, Cape Town. He was there during the early post-apartheid years.

2003: Returns to Kampala for a Year

In 2003, Mamdani returned to Kampala for a year and attended school during his father's sabbatical, living with his paternal grandparents and aunt.

2010: Graduates from Bronx High School of Science

In 2010, Mamdani graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, where he co-founded the school's first cricket team and ran for student body vice president.

2012: Shareholder of Real Oviedo

In 2012, Zohran Mamdani became a shareholder of the Spanish soccer team Real Oviedo as part of a fundraising drive to prevent bankruptcy.

January 2014: Co-authors op-ed in Bangor Daily News

In January 2014, Mamdani co-authored an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News urging Bowdoin College to join the American Studies Association's boycott of Israel.

2014: Graduates from Bowdoin College

In 2014, Mamdani graduated from Bowdoin College with a bachelor's degree in Africana studies.

2015: Volunteers for Ali Najmi's campaign

In 2015, Mamdani entered New York City politics as a volunteer for Ali Najmi's campaign, inspired by Heems' support for Najmi.

2016: Curates soundtrack for Queen of Katwe

In 2016, Mamdani curated and produced the soundtrack for his mother Mira Nair's film "Queen of Katwe", and he co-wrote the song "#1 Spice" with HAB for the film. He also appeared as an extra in the film.

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2016: Releases EP Sidda Mukyaalo

In 2016, Young Cardamom & HAB released their EP Sidda Mukyaalo, featuring songs addressing social issues in Uganda and creating a unique Ugandan style of rap. They performed at the Nyege Nyege festival.

2017: Joins the Democratic Socialists of America

In 2017, Mamdani joined the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and worked for the campaign of Khader El-Yateem.

2017: Releases the song "Salaam"

In 2017, Mamdani released the song "Salaam" under his middle name, Zohran Kwame, where he praised the Holy Land 5.

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2017: Nominated for a Guild of Music Supervisors Awards

In 2017, Mamdani was nominated for a Guild of Music Supervisors Award for curating and producing the soundtrack for his mother Mira Nair's 2016 film Queen of Katwe.

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2018: Campaign manager for Ross Barkan's bid

In 2018, Mamdani served as the campaign manager for Ross Barkan's unsuccessful bid for the New York State Senate.

2018: Became a US citizen

In 2018, Zohran Mamdani became a naturalized citizen of the United States, holding dual citizenship with Uganda.

2018: Works as a foreclosure prevention and housing counselor

Starting in 2018, Mamdani worked as a foreclosure prevention and housing counselor in Queens, assisting lower-income immigrant homeowners with eviction notices.

April 2019: Releases the single "Nani"

In April 2019, under the moniker Mr. Cardamom, Mamdani released the single "Nani", an homage to his grandmother, with actress Madhur Jaffrey portraying his grandmother in the video.

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October 2019: Announces Campaign for New York's 36th State Assembly district

In October 2019, Mamdani announced his campaign to represent New York's 36th State Assembly district, endorsed by the DSA and running on a platform of housing reform, and public ownership of utilities.

2019: Field organizer for Tiffany Cabán's campaign

In 2019, Mamdani was a field organizer for Tiffany Cabán's close-run but also unsuccessful campaign for Queens County district attorney.

June 2020: Primary victory over Aravella Simotas

In June 2020, Mamdani had a primary victory over five-term Democratic incumbent Aravella Simotas.

2020: Elected to New York State Assembly

In 2020, Mamdani was first elected to the New York State Assembly, representing Astoria and Long Island City, after defeating Aravella Simotas in the Democratic primary.

2021: Met Rama Duwaji on Hinge

In 2021, Zohran Mamdani met Rama Duwaji on Hinge, an online dating application.

2022: Re-elected to NYS Assembly

In 2022, Mamdani was re-elected without opposition to New York's 36th State Assembly district.

2023: Keynote Speaker at DSA Convention

In 2023, Mamdani was the keynote speaker at the DSA convention, emphasizing the importance of the organization.

September 25, 2024: Revoked Eric Adams' executive orders

On September 25, 2024, Eric Adams was indicted on bribery charges, and upon being elected Mayor, Mamdani's first executive order was to revoke all executive orders his predecessor Eric Adams made after he was indicted.

October 2024: Announces Candidacy for Mayor of New York City

In October 2024, Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City in the 2025 election, running on a progressive platform focused on affordability.

October 2024: Got engaged to Rama Duwaji

In October 2024, Zohran Mamdani got engaged to Rama Duwaji.

October 23, 2024: Announces Mayoral Candidacy

On October 23, 2024, Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City with a platform that included free city buses, a rent freeze, city-run grocery stores, universal child care, and affordable housing.

2024: Re-elected to NYS Assembly without opposition

In 2024, Mamdani was re-elected without opposition to New York's 36th State Assembly district.

2024: Supported Proposal 1

In 2024, Zohran Mamdani supported Proposal 1, a successful ballot measure that banned discrimination based on ethnicity, gender identity, disability, and reproductive rights.

January 2025: Member of Nine Assembly Committees

By January 2025, Mamdani was a member of nine Assembly committees, focusing on areas such as aging, cities, election law, energy, real property taxation, and various legislative caucuses and task forces.

February 2025: Married Rama Duwaji in New York City

In February 2025, Zohran Mamdani married Rama Duwaji in a civil ceremony at New York City Hall.

May 2025: Primary sponsor of 20 bills in the Assembly

By May 2025, Mamdani had been the primary sponsor of 20 bills in the Assembly, with three becoming law, and co-sponsored 238 bills. He also helped launch a successful fare-free bus pilot program.

June 2025: Supported by New Yorkers for Lower Costs Super PAC

During the primary campaign, in June 2025, Mamdani's campaign was supported by the New Yorkers for Lower Costs super PAC, which spent approximately $1.3 million supporting him and opposing Cuomo before the primary.

June 2025: Wins the Democratic Primary for NYC Mayor

In June 2025, Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo in an upset.

June 24, 2025: Leads in Primary Election Night

On June 24, 2025, results on election night showed Mamdani with a large lead over Andrew Cuomo in the mayoral primary, leading to Cuomo conceding the race that evening. Ranked-choice voting increased his margin.

July 2025: Ceremony in Uganda

In July 2025, Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji had a wedding ceremony in Uganda.

July 2025: Wins Democratic Primary

In July 2025, it was announced that Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor. A poll indicated a shift in Jewish American political attitudes, with support levels suggesting a waning attachment to traditional pro-Israel politics. His campaign also drew attention for its use of Bollywood songs and cultural references.

November 4, 2025: Elected Mayor of New York City

On November 4, 2025, Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City, becoming the city's youngest mayor since 1892, as well as the city's first Asian American and Muslim mayor.

November 5, 2025: Announced mayoral transition team

On November 5, 2025, Zohran Mamdani announced the first members of his mayoral transition team, including Elana Leopold as executive director, and co-chairs Maria Torres-Springer, Lina Khan, Melanie Hartzog and Grace Bonilla.

December 2025: Established as 112th mayor of New York City

In December 2025, a review of city archives established that Zohran Mamdani would be the city's 112th mayor, correcting a previous enumeration.

2025: Google Trending search

In 2025, Zohran Mamdani was Google’s No. 1 “People” trending search and his Wikipedia page was among the 10 most-read.

January 1, 2026: Mayoralty Began

On January 1, 2026, Zohran Mamdani's mayoralty began. He was sworn in by Letitia James on the Quran at the City Hall subway station, and had a public inauguration in the afternoon where he was sworn in by Bernie Sanders.

January 2026: Becomes the 112th Mayor of New York City

In January 2026, Zohran Mamdani assumed the role of the 112th mayor of New York City.

January 2026: Criticized Iranian regime's violence

In January 2026, Zohran Mamdani criticized the Iranian regime's violence against anti-government protesters.

January 2026: Took a stance against ICE

In January 2026, after the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, Zohran Mamdani took a strong stance against ICE, calling for the organization's abolition.

January 2026: Announced plan to expand free and low-cost childcare

In January 2026, one week after his inauguration, Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul announced a plan to expand free and low-cost childcare in New York City.