LONG ISLAND: New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani told a gathering of American-Pakistanis on Thursday that his campaign’s success was rooted in community engagement and the belief people saw themselves in him.
Mamdani began the event, organised by the American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) chairman Dr Ijaz Ahmad, with a story about his first political experience. “A day after Ali Najmi lost the race, he went to a restaurant to grab some doughnuts. An uncle saw him and said he had been desperately waiting to vote for Ali,” he said.
Mamdani noted that his first door-knocking effort in New York City had been for Najmi, whom he calls his brother, and that the candidate’s defeat had left a deep impression on him.
Reflecting on his own campaign strategy, Mamdani said he sought to reach voters of all ages and backgrounds, including those who had never voted or had not participated in decades. “A close friend of mine, Salman, told me about his 90-year-old grandfather who had lived in New York City for nearly 50 years. This was the election that finally brought him to register to vote,” Mamdani recounted.
He added that his outreach extended beyond the American-Pakistani community, including Indians, Bangladeshis, Nepalis, Tibetans, South Asians and other residents across the city’s five boroughs. Mamdani’s efforts paid off, with him securing more votes than any candidate since John Vliet Lindsay in 1965.
Mamdani also shared his personal reflections on leadership and representation. “The only reason I stand here is because people saw themselves in me long before I could see the path ahead. I ask you to give that same belief to every young person in this room. Young people who want to write their own story, who aim to become the leaders we have long waited for — the ones who will chart a new course for our city, our state and our country,” he said.
He acknowledged the challenges he faced during the campaign, including discouragement from peers who questioned the feasibility of his candidacy. “At the beginning of this campaign, many said it was impossible. Many asked why I would even try. Some looked at me as though it was a fool’s errand to dream of such a thing,” Mamdani said. He praised APPAC for its support, crediting the organisation with helping make his journey possible.
Mamdani stressed that his campaign was not only about American-Pakistanis, South Asians or Muslims. “What I have heard from so many in this room — and from Dr Ijaz himself — is the importance of making democracy reflect the city it is meant to serve. That every person, no matter where they come from, can see themselves in the politics of their home,” he said.
On fulfilling his campaign promises, Mamdani said: “I know the honour we share today is one I do not take lightly. Far more rests on the success of my administration than simply delivering our ambitious agenda.”
He concluded the event with another anecdote, recounting a South Asian doctor who saved a woman’s life on a flight to Puerto Rico. When asked how his service could be recognised, the doctor said, “I need two tickets to Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration,” Mamdani recalled.
Former APPAC Youth President and PSA National Co-founder Arsal Ijaz noted that Mamdani’s rise demonstrates the impact of persistent community engagement.
“He wasn’t born into politics. He built his path step by step, door by door and community by community. His journey proves that the impossible becomes possible when you take that first step,” Ijaz said.
