Zohran Mamdani wins NYC mayoral race: Can he ever become US President?

Mamdani delivered a decisive victory for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party

34-year-old Zohran Mamdani has scripted history as he emerged victorious in the closely-watched battle for New York City mayor. The far-left state lawmaker vowed to overhaul city government, champion working-class interests, and stand firm against the Trump administration.

By defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, Zohran Mamdani delivered a decisive victory for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

With this, the democratic socialist is set to make history as New York City’s first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian descent, and the first born in Africa. When he takes office on January 1, he will also be the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century.

What Zohran Mamdani said in his victory speech?

"I am young and I am a Muslim. I refuse to apologise for being a Muslim," Mamdani said in his victory speech.

"A moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance,” he quoted India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. He further added, “Tonight, we have stepped from the old into the new.”

The 34-year-old mayor quickly turned his focus to President Donald Trump, launching what may become a defining showdown between the new leader of New York City and a president long synonymous with it.

"Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: turn the volume up!" Mamdani said.

Trump has repeatedly turned the massive powers of the presidency on political rivals, and already before the election had threatened to possibly withhold billions of dollars in federal funding from New York City if Mamdani, a democratic socialist, was elected.

Can Zohran Mamdani run for US Presidential race?

Mamdani’s stunning rise in New York politics has fuelled a new debate among supporters and opponents alike: Is a presidential run even possible for him?

However, Mamdani is constitutionally barred from ever running for president. Article II, Section 1 of the US Constitution states, “No person except a natural-born citizen… shall be eligible to the Office of President.”

Mamdani, born in Uganda in 1991 to parents who were not US citizens, acquired American citizenship through naturalisation in 2018. The Legal Information Institute explains that a “natural-born citizen” refers to an individual who holds US citizenship from birth, without the process of naturalisation.

This constitutional provision sets a clear boundary on Mamdani’s political future. Although he is eligible to run for offices such as senator or representative, the presidency remains barred to him under US law.