Zohran Mamdani makes history and strikes a chord with Muslims and South Asians

Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani’s projected victory as New York City’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor marks a historic moment that could galvanize those communities, some voters and experts told ABC News.

“It’s going to make a big difference for our people: the South Indians, the Muslims, the people who are immigrants like me. They’re also going to think… that there’s a place for them in this country,” Asif Mahmood, a Democratic campaigner who helped raise funds for Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris and ran for Congress, told ABC News before Election Day.

Some Democratic strategists have noted that Arab and South Asian Muslims in the United States, many of whom immigrated after 1965, have historically not been involved in politics. Asian Americans in general have also been underrepresented in polls and research, including in recent election years, ABC News previously reported.

But Mamdani’s catapult into the national spotlight could help turn the tide, as members of those communities would mobilize in large numbers on his behalf throughout his campaign.

In fact, South Asian voter turnout in the 2025 New York primary was up about 40% compared to the 2021 primary, according to data from research firm L2 provided to ABC News.

“This has created a lot of interest,” Mahmood said, adding that South Asians and Muslims “are definitely participating more” in New York politics. However, he expressed concern about how long the turnout will last and said he was “really skeptical” that energy will translate to other candidates in the future.

The emphasis on a candidate’s identity was particularly pronounced in this race, something that has been embraced by Mamdani’s campaign and supporters, but attacked by his opponents.

Born in Uganda, Mamdani is a Muslim of Indian descent who has lived in the United States since he was seven years old before becoming a naturalized citizen in 2018.

“This campaign has awakened something powerful in New York’s Muslim and South Asian communities: a sense of visibility, pride and political belonging that has been denied for generations,” Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec told ABC in a statement.

Vishvajit Singh, a storyteller and artist who has lived in New York for ten years, told ABC News before Election Day that “the excitement of voting is real, even beyond the South Asian community.”

“Both supporters and critics of his candidacy will benefit: his elevation may open up more opportunities for South Asians (‘desis’) in the US government,” Singh said, adding that Mamdani’s victory “will inspire children of brown and even Hispanic backgrounds to think about big government positions.”

Raza Ahmad Rumi, a political analyst and City University of New York professor originally from Pakistan, told ABC that Mamdani’s rise “reflects a generational shift in New York politics.”

“His charisma and connection with people – including support from young white and Jewish people – show that his appeal goes far beyond identity,” Rumi said.

Mamdani’s impact appears to transcend beyond the Big Apple, reaching community members across the country and abroad.

“I don’t know a single South Asian, and I know a lot of South Asians, who doesn’t know about this race,” said Mahmood, who lives in California.

Dr Naomi Green, deputy general secretary of the Muslim Council of Great Britain, told ABC News that Mamdani’s “broad support in New York and beyond is proof that people value justice and inclusion over prejudice.” In 2016, London made history when the city elected its first Muslim mayor.

The arrival of New York’s first Muslim mayor marks a major milestone in a place that has experienced long-standing Islamophobia, especially after the deadly 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred in the city.

The dark day in New York was repeatedly mentioned in the run-up to Election Day, and Mamdani accused his opponent, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, of engaging in Islamophobic rhetoric related to him and 9/11.

Cuomo has pushed back about these accusations, arguing that Mamdani was being divisive and falsely alleging Islamophobia. Speaking to Fox News just days before the election, Cuomo accused Mamdani of “playing the race card” and trying to win over voters based on his identity.

Mahmood told ABC that those comments actually helped Mamdani by fueling voters’ anger against his opponents.

But not all South Asians are enthusiastic about Mamdani. In October, Cuomo released a “South Asians for Cuomo” coalition that gathered around the independent candidate over Mamdani.

The Indian community has experienced particular division, with some criticizing Mamdani’s economic policies and even accusing him of being anti-Hindu. pointing at his past comments about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mamdani’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on these anti-Hindu allegations. A campaign advisor told the New York Times that Mamdani rejects anti-Hindu rhetoric and noted that his mother is Hindu.

Fahad Solaiman, a member of the Jackson Heights Community Board and Business Development Association in Bangladesh, told ABC that he disagrees with the feasibility of Mamdani’s promises, calling them “unrealistic.”

“We are working people. There are so many South Asian Americans in public office now, even the director of the FBI is South Asian. But the problem is not who is in office; it is the type of promises that are made. [Mamdani] constantly overpromises,” Solaiman said.

Mamdani has also received backlash from some members of the Jewish community, with more than 1,000 rabbis across the country signing a letter denouncing his rhetoric about Israel.

Mamdani’s victory as the Democratic candidate also comes at a time of declining Democratic support among Indian-Americans nationwide. The Carnegie Endowment for American Peace found Fewer Indian Americans will vote blue in 2024 compared to 2020, even with former Vice President Harris, a Black and Indian woman, at the top of the Democratic ticket.

A recent Pew Research Center report It also noted a decline in Muslim support for Democrats, with 42% of Muslims identifying or leaning Republican in 2024, compared to to 13% of Muslims identify or lean toward Republicans in 2017.

Mahmood stressed that Mamdani’s identity does not define his candidacy.

“He’s not going to become mayor. [about being] “He’s a Muslim mayor, but he’s a good mayor, and he happens to be Muslim,” Mahmood said. “He’s a good mayor, he happens to be from South Asia.”