Trump's opponent wins NYC mayoral race: Who is Zohran Mamdani

The media reports that 34-year-old Mamdani has become the youngest mayor of New York in over a century, as well as the first Muslim and African-American to lead the city.

This year's election saw record turnout, with nearly 2 million voters participating for the first time since 1969.

In addition to Mumbani, independent candidate and former state governor Andrew Cuomo, as well as Republican Curtis Sliwa, competed for the mayor's office. Cuomo has already congratulated Mamdani on his victory.

Donald Trump also reacted to the election results. He said that the Republicans' defeat was due to the government shutdown and the absence of his name on the ballot.

"Trump wasn't on the ballot, and shutdown, were the two reasons that Republicans lost elections tonight," the US President says.

Experts consider the New York mayoral election to be the first serious test for the Trump administration after his return to the White House.

On the eve of the vote, Trump called on voters to support Democrat Cuomo rather than Republican Sliwa. Trump called Mamdani a communist and even threatened to cut federal funding for New York if he won.

Zohran Mamdani

According to the BBC, Mamdani built his campaign on attracting voters disappointed with the current administration and the policies of the Democratic Party. He was helped in this by his skillful use of social media, which allowed Mamdani to establish direct contact with voters.

The politician calls himself a democratic socialist. The candidate does not specify what exactly he means by this term, but his program includes, in particular, the introduction of taxes on millionaires.

Mamdani's main focus in his election platform is on issues of accessibility and quality of life.

His promises include the introduction of free preschool education, a freeze on rents in subsidized housing, free bus travel, and the creation of a network of municipal grocery stores.

Protests against Trump

On October 18, large-scale No Kings protests against President Donald Trump's policies took place in the United States. Protesters demonstrated against the policy of arresting and deporting migrants, deploying troops in the states, and suspending government operations.

The mass protests followed a similar No Kings rally on June 14, timed to coincide with the military parade that Trump held in honor of the 250th anniversary of the US Army and his birthday.

For more information on what the No Kings protest is and why it arose, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.