Zohran Mamdani: podcast appearances and interviews

Zohran Kwame Mamdani is an American politician serving as the 112th mayor of New York City since January 2026. He is a member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America. Mamdani previously served from 2021 to 2025 as a member of the New York State Assembly for the 36th district, representing Astoria, Queens. Born in Kampala to academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair, he moved to New York City at the age of seven after spending three years in Cape Town. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and earned a bachelor's degree in Africana studies from Bowdoin College in 2014. Before entering politics, Mamdani worked as a housing counselor and a rapper. He entered politics as a campaign manager for Khader El-Yateem and Ross Barkan. In 2020, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, defeating a five-term incumbent in the Democratic primary, and he was reelected in 2022 and 2024 without opposition. In October 2024, Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor with a progressive platform focusing on affordability, public safety reform, and expansion of affordable housing. He campaigned on policies such as fare-free city buses, universal child care, a rent freeze on rent-stabilized units, and a $30 minimum wage by 2030. Mamdani won the Democratic primary in June 2025, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo, and was elected mayor in the November election. As mayor, he has implemented a rent freeze on rent-stabilized units and initiated programs for city-owned grocery stores, as well as working with the state on a pied-à-terre tax targeting high-value second homes.