Zohran Mamdani, aged 34 years, was elected as the first Muslim mayor of New York City. The iconic Bollywood song ‘Dhoom Machale’ filled the air as Mamdani, who will also be the New York’s youngest and first African-born mayor, finished his victory speech on Tuesday, 4 November at the Zohran HQ.
Now that Mamdani scripted history by securing 50.4% of the votes, what are the challenges that await him as the New York mayor? What are his duties, responsibilities? We take a look.
What does the New York mayor do?
The mayor of New York City serves as the city’s chief executive, operating from City Hall with jurisdiction over all five boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island.
From supervising a workforce of over 300,000 employees, managing a budget exceeding $120 billion, the New York mayor enjoys tremendous power – JC Polanco, a political expert and professor at the University of Mount Saint Vincent told CBS news. He said that it is a lot of power considering that New York is among the top 10 in the world.
What are the duties of a New York Mayor?
From preparing and managing New York City’s budget to appointing deputy mayors, and other key officials, the mayor’s responsibilities varies across finance to legislative sectors.
The mayor’s top duty is to prepare and manage the city’s budget — the largest municipal budget in the United States, currently around $112.4 billion, as per the New York State Comptroller. This includes planning revenue sources such as taxes and determining spending priorities.
While the mayor has wide budgetary powers, he cannot independently raise taxes and must secure approval from the New York State Legislature in Albany. This often requires lobbying both lawmakers and the governor for support.
What challenges Zohran Mamdani can face?
Zohran Mamdani entered the mayoral race last year with next to no name recognition, little money and no institutional party support – which made his victory remarkable. Add to it, his win against former Governor Andrew Cuomo – a former New York governor who is himself the son of a governor, mentioned a report by BBC.
Given Mamdani’s notable win, critics have warned that his successes and failures will be closely scrutinised.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a fellow Democrat, has already said she opposed raising the kind of taxes necessary to fund Mamdami’s ambitious agenda. And even with sufficient funding, Mamdani would not be able to implement programmes unilaterally, mentioned a report by BBC.
Earlier, Mamdani also condemned Israel’s conduct during the Gaza war and pledged to arrest Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu as a war criminal if he sets foot in New York City — a promise that could be tested at some point during his term, as per reports.
What is Zohran Mamdani’s term in office?
A New York City mayor serves a four-year term, limited to two consecutive terms, though they may seek a third term after a break.
Zohran Mamdani wife, family
Born in 1991 in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and scholar Mahmood Mamdani.
Zohran Mamdani is married to Rama Duwaji, a Brooklyn-based Syrian-American artist, who met the newly elected New York Mayor on Hinge.
