Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani is an Ugandan-born American politician representing New York’s 36th State Assembly district. He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

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New York State Assembly: The lower chamber of the New York State Legislature, with members elected from districts across the state. Mamdani serves in this chamber for the 36th Assembly District.
New York's 36th State Assembly district: A New York State Assembly district covering parts of Astoria and Long Island City in Queens. This is the constituency Mamdani represents.
Uganda: A landlocked country in East Africa, bordered by Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan. Mamdani was born in Uganda before his family settled in the United States.
Andrew Cuomo: An American politician who served as New York governor from 2011 to 2021. Cuomo represents a prominent centrist Democratic tradition against which Mamdani’s politics are often contrasted.
Democratic Socialists of America: A U.S. political organization that promotes democratic socialism through organizing and electoral campaigns. Mamdani is a member of the organization and has run as a democratic socialist.
New York State Legislature: New York’s bicameral lawmaking body, consisting of the State Assembly and State Senate. Mamdani’s district representation is one part of this statewide institution.
Kampala: The capital and largest city of Uganda, located near the northern shore of Lake Victoria. Mamdani was born in Kampala.
New York Democratic Party: The state organization of the Democratic Party in New York. Mamdani campaigns within a party whose mainstream factions differ from democratic-socialist politics.
New York City Council: The legislative body of New York City, separate from the state legislature. It is the city-level institution often compared with Mamdani’s state legislative role.
New York City housing policy: The laws and public programs shaping housing supply, affordability, and tenant protections in New York City. Housing affordability is a central issue in Mamdani’s political work.