The Free Press
NewslettersSign InSubscribe
A Young Socialist Wants to Run NYC. Could He Win?
Zohran Mamdani, with actress and cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey, in 2019, when he was a musician known as “Mr. Cardamom.” (Nicole Craine/The New York Times via Redux)
Zohran Mamdani vows to spend billions subsidizing buses, housing, and grocery stores. He says he’ll arrest the Israeli PM if he ever steps foot in NYC. And he’s surging in the polls.
By Olivia Reingold
04.14.25 — U.S. Politics
--:--
--:--
Upgrade to Listen
5 mins
Produced by ElevenLabs using AI narration
476
208

Unless you follow New York politics like a hawk, chances are you’ve never heard of Zohran Kwame Mamdani. The 33-year-old socialist is one of the youngest candidates to ever seek the mayorship of New York City. If he wins, he wants to turn the Big Apple into a Havana on the Hudson with free buses, government-run grocery stores, and no more rent hikes for millions.

“It is socialism that we are fighting for,” he told an online audience in 2021.

Limited Time Offer
Get 25% off an annual subscription to The Free Press.
Already have an account? Sign in
To read this article, sign in or subscribe
Olivia Reingold
Olivia Reingold is a staff writer at The Free Press. She co-created and executive produced Matthew Yglesias’s podcast, Bad Takes. She got her start in public radio, regularly appearing on NPR for her reporting on indigenous communities in Montana. She previously produced podcasts at Politico, where she shaped conversations with world leaders like Jens Stoltenberg.
Tags:
Crime
Israel
New York City
Comments
Join the conversation
Share your thoughts and connect with other readers by becoming a paid subscriber!
Already a paid subscriber? Sign in

No posts

For Free People.
LatestSearchAboutCareersShopPodcastsVideoEvents
Download the app
Download on the Google Play Store
©2025 The Free Press. All Rights Reserved.Powered by Substack.
Privacy∙Terms∙Collection notice