In The News
Our campaign featured in local and national press. More coverage here.
Did New York Just Get the Nation’s Most Liberal Legislature?
"After she conceded on Wednesday, Mr. Mamdani, a Muslim who was born in Uganda, celebrated his victory on Twitter with a two-word summation of his political base: 'Socialism won,' he wrote. "
Assembly Democrats spend big to save Simotas' seat in Astoria
"With a single donation one week before election day, the Albany establishment provided our opponent with more than half of the total amount our own campaign raised the entire cycle,” Mamdani said. “That's in addition to the tens of thousands of dollars she received from lobbyists, special interests and corporate PACs associated with the Queens Machine and Democratic leadership.”
Insurgent Wave in New York Pushes Old Guard Democrats Aside
"One of the [DSA's] tactics was to engage minority communities that had long been marginalized. Mr. Mamdani’s campaign crafted mailers and policy proposals to target Astoria’s Muslim and South Asian communities. The group’s organizing tactics have also been sharpened with each successive election season, and its fund-raising has become more robust following its earlier successes."
Leftward wave still showing its energy
"At least one thing is clear though – during a campaign season upended by an unprecedented global pandemic, an upstart candidate, with little name recognition and backed by the Queens chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, made the race for the 36th Assembly District one of the closest in the borough."
Another big night for the DSA
"Despite being unable to canvas in person, in several races the DSA replicated its feat from 2018 of mobilizing more voters than is typical for a congressional or state legislative primary. The DSA advantage was most apparent in Mamdani’s race against Assembly Member Aravella Simotas, where Mamdani leads the incumbent by more than 7 percentage points with 91% of the in-person votes counted."
Beyond Jamaal Bowman, Progressives Targeting New York Incumbents Up and Down the Ballot
"Simotas is backed by companies fighting labor protections for gig workers; New Yorkers for Flexible Work, a front group for companies like Uber and Lyft, is running ads on Spotify in support of her. Uber’s top lobbyist, Patrick Jenkins, donated $1,000 to Simotas last month. She also received money from Savas Konstantinides, a city taxi fleet owner under federal investigation for possible lending fraud in the city taxi industry. Mamdani’s campaign is focusing on rights for drivers in the district."
Will the Pandemic Slow New York’s Progressive Momentum?
"Mr. Mamdani was among the first legislative challengers in New York to use the growing anti-police sentiment as a cudgel against his opponent: A day after his campaign highlighted thousands of dollars that Ms. Simotas had received in contributions from police-affiliated groups, she said she would donate the money to charity."
One Police Officer's Riot Gear Could've Bought PPE for 31 Nurses
“Stay engaged on the streets,” says Mamdani, referring to the peaceful protests happening across the country. “I think that these protests have already accomplished a truly fantastic amount … This is a time of crisis, and it’s also a time of possibility.”
The Pandemic Upends Islam’s Holiest Month
“You cannot extricate Ramadan from the concept of solidarity and the idea and the practice of community,” Mr. Mamdani said. “People who rely on iftar at the mosques throughout Ramadan are still here in our communities and are in need of that same food so we have to find a way to get it to them.”
DSA Was Only Getting Started
"Asked what drew him to Mamdani’s campaign, Omar Abouhamama, a 16-year-old volunteer from Astoria, described helping the campaign pack groceries and prepare meals to deliver to neighbors in need. 'I like politics,' he said, 'but I like helping people, also.' Of Mamdani, he said admiringly, 'I don’t [usually] see politicians in the street helping people out themselves.'"
Queens, NY Faces Nordic-Model Sex Work Crackdown
"In light of the potential harms caused by vice policing, Mamdani is calling on DA Katz to 'listen to the people who are directly impacted by the policies she’s promoting in their name, and end all prosecutions' for sex work on both sides of consensual transactions."
After New York Cancels Presidential Primary, Candidates Brace for Lower Turnout
"Mr. Mamdani traveled to Iowa late last year to knock on doors for Mr. Sanders and has been inspired by his message. 'His vision is one that has made possible campaigns such as mine,' Mr. Mamdani said in an interview. 'Additionally, in Astoria, our commitment is the same as his: to expand the electorate of regular primary voters.'"
Astoria Assembly candidate blasts ‘Queens Machine’ for corruption
"A left-wing insurgent candidate for the state Assembly from Astoria is calling out the Queens County Democratic Party after the Board of Elections removed seven candidates aligned with the New Reformers PAC Thursday."
Policy Proposal Demands NYS Help Cabbies Amid The Pandemic
"State Senator Julia Salazar from Brooklyn, and Zohran Kwame Mamdani, a candidate running for Assembly in Queens are stepping up to help the city’s cab drivers who have been hard hit by the pandemic."
Tiffany Cabán Endorses Slate Of Progressive New York Candidates
"Mamdani, a housing counselor in northwest Queens, is running to replace veteran Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas. Mamdani, who supports the decriminalization of sex work and drug possession, hails from deep in the heart of the nascent activist community that propelled Cabán’s bid."
Queens Assembly candidates urge lawmakers to demand speedy jail release
Mamdani, who is challenging Assemblymember Aravella Simotas in District 36, said the city and state have done “next to nothing” to release people at risk of dying from COVID-19 and called on local lawmakers to step up their advocacy. “Our officials have a moral obligation to be leading the call for decarceration in this critical moment.”
Everyone Belongs Here
"These are candidates coming from communities who are constantly being told that we’re not at home in this city, this state, in this country. We're using organizing power, which we’ve accumulated over years, to make very clear that everyone belongs here.”
Relying On AOC/Sanders Playbook, Democratic Socialists Set Sights On NY State Assembly
"Mamdani says that his candidacy isn’t just about a set of Democratic Socialist policies but also about forging a social movement that brings together both urban professionals and community members who share his South Asian and Islamic heritage. 'There's only one Muslim in the Assembly, one in the State Senate and one in the City Council,' he said. 'It’s all just crumbs really, in terms of representation.'"
Meet the Democratic Insurgents Who Want Transit to be Free
"Mamdani, who has the Queens DSA endorsement, said that his support for the free transit was “part and parcel of being a democratic socialist. 'The state needs to provide all that is necessary to survive and thrive, mobility as a human right and transportation is a social good,' Mamdami said."
In Support of Housing for LGBT Youth in Astoria
Whether we’re queer or straight, housed or unhoused, immigrants or native New Yorkers, we cannot let the ruling class pit us against one another. We don’t have to fight each other over scraps from the table - we have to fight together to turn it over.
Meet the New DSA-Backed Candidates Running to Give Power Back to the People in New York State
Zohran Mamdani and Marcela Mitaynes are both tenant organizers and foreclosure prevention counselors. They come out of the housing justice movement that won groundbreaking reforms to our rent laws last year in Albany. Let’s send them back to the state capitol—but on the inside this time—to finish the job and win “good cause” eviction, a true investment in our public housing, and an end to New York’s homelessness crisis.
Roti and Roses an interview with Zohran Kwame Mamdani
The real, key power of representation is that you not only look like someone who hasn’t been at the table, but that you in fact change the nature of which discussions are prioritized, and that you’re fighting for a different set of priorities that have been ignored.
Western Queens assembly challengers reinforce campaigns with strong fundraising
"In the Astoria district, Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist of America-backed housing organizer, had 1,393 individual contributions from 1,017 unique donors, whereas Simotas had 103 individual contributions from 100 unique donors."
DSA challengers push state legislature on criminal justice reform
"We are proud to support all ongoing efforts to roll back carceral violence in New York State," the candidates said in a joint statement. "We also want to use this opportunity to share a vision for a world where our commitments to restorative justice are even deeper, and our distance from the brutality of the criminal punishment system is even greater.”
Another socialist candidate targets NY’s housing market
The young activist said he is running to decommodify housing. “The market can’t be the only way we determine if someone can live somewhere, or live at all,” Mamdani said.