Zohran Mamdani is Elected Mayor of NYC (November 2025)

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pUFn8fU0d0c

In 2025, New York City experienced a historic political shift. Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old from Queens, became the 111th mayor of the city—and the youngest in over a century. Born in Uganda and raised in New York since the age of seven, Mamdani also made history as the first Muslim and first South Asian to be elected as mayor of New York City.

He is the son of Oscar nominated filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani. He moved from Uganda to New York City at age seven. He was naturalized as an American citizen in 2018 and is married to Syrian artist Rama Duwaji.

His election symbolizes a big change in the politics of the city, reflecting the voices of younger, diverse, and working-class New Yorkers. His grassroots campaign grew from small neighborhood meetings and online organizing into a powerful movement, attracting thousands of volunteers and record voter turnout.

Mamdani describes himself as a democratic socialist. His platform focuses on affordability, inclusivity, and social justice, with the objective of reducing inequality and making New York livable for all. His major policy goals include:

Freezing rents on rent-stabilized apartments
Building more affordable housing
Providing free public buses
Expanding universal childcare
Increasing the minimum wage to $30/hour by 2030
Increasing taxes on the wealthy and large corporations

These proposals came out in response to a cost-of-living crisis: skyrocketing rents, unaffordable childcare, unreliable public transit, and widening inequality. Many New Yorkers, especially younger and working-class residents, resonated with his call for change and fairness.

However, Mamdani’s victory has also divided the city. Supporters see him as a reformer who speaks for the people. Critics—especially business leaders and conservatives—warn that his socialist policies could drive away companies and wealthy taxpayers. Billionaire investors like Bill Ackman and grocery-chain owner John Catsimatidis said they might move operations out of New York if taxes increase and that an exodus of businesses to other states is a strong possibility . Some polls suggest up to a million residents are considering leaving, causing concerns about urban stability and economic confidence.

Still, for many, Mamdani represents hope and progress—a break from politics as usual. His challenge now is in turning ambitious promises into practical results, while balancing social equality with economic sustainability.

1. Vocabulary Match

Instructions: Match each vocabulary word with its correct meaning by writing the letter (a, b, c…) next to the word.

No.	Vocabulary	Meaning
1.	Historic	a) People who work without a salary for a cause
2.	Raised	b) Change
3.	Grassroots	c) Open to and supportive of all groups
4.	Shift	d) Very important or significant event
5.	Affordable	e) When you can trust or depend on someone or something
6.	Inclusive	f) Ability to pay for something without difficulty
7.	Reliable	g) Community-level or ordinary people-led movement
8.	Rent-stabilized	h) Where someone grew up
9.	Volunteers	i) Apartments with government-regulated monthly prices
10.	Minimum wage	j) The lowest legal amount a worker can be paid

No.	Vocabulary	Meaning
11.	Exodus	k) The best achievement ever in a specific area
12.	Reform	l) Ability to maintain something over time without harm
13.	Ambitious	m) To cause or force someone to leave, especially by making a situation unpleasant
14.	Turnout	n) Showing strong desire to achieve goals
15.	Record	o) To have a strong, personal connection with something that reflects your feelings or beliefs
16.	Social justice	p) To make changes for improvement
17.	Drive away	q) A group of stores (two or more) that have the same brand name and policies, sell the same products, and are all owned by the same person or company
18.	Resonate	r) Large departure of people or businesses from a place
19.	Sustainable	s) Fair treatment and equality for all people
20.	Chain	t) The number of people attending or voting in an event

2. Synonym Match

Instructions: Match each word with its synonym by writing the correct letter (a–k).

No.	Word	Synonym
1.	Historic	a) Aspiring
2.	Residents	b) Remarkable
3.	Poll	c) Increase
4.	Wealthy	d) Survey
5.	Skyrocket	e) Rich
6.	Volunteers	f) Improve
7.	Exodus	g) Departure
8.	Reform	h) Durable
9.	Ambitious	i) Helpers
10.	Sustainable	j) Inhabitants

3.Group Discussion

Discuss:

What makes housing so expensive in big cities like New York?
Are free buses or public transport realistic?
Should wealthier citizens pay more tax for social programs?
How can a mayor balance fairness and economic growth?
Would you support similar policies in your country?

4. You Are the Mayor of Barcelona:

The residents of your city have complaints. How would you address each of the following:

Tourists everywhere
Rising rent and housing prices
Noise at night
Overcrowding on public transport
Endless construction and roadworks
Lack of parking
Dog poop on sidewalks
Pickpockets

9. “Touristification” of neighborhoods
10. Over-commercialization
11. Beach overcrowding
12. Drunken tourism
13. Souvenir shops everywhere

14. Bicycles and scooters on sidewalks
15. Endless queues

What are some complaints you have that did not make it to the list and how would you address it as mayor?

5.Debates

1: Topic: “Mamdani’s victory marks the beginning of a fairer New York.”
Split into two teams:

For: Argue that his plans promote justice and equality.
Against: Argue that his ideas may harm business and growth.

2:Situation: You are journalists interviewing Mayor Mamdani after his election.
Work in pairs. Choose a role:

Role A – Journalist:
Ask questions about his plans for the city. Examples:

Why do you think so many young people voted for you?
How will you make housing more affordable?
What do you say to business owners who are worried about higher taxes?

3. Class Debate:

Class Debate:
Topic: “Raising taxes on the rich is fair for society.”
Divide into two groups — for and against — and discuss.
Small Group Discussion:
Questions:
- What makes a good mayor?
- Should public transport be free?
- Is it possible for one person to change a big city?

7. City Comparison

Compare New York City and Barcelona:

Aspect	New York City	Barcelona
Population	~8.4 million	~1.6 million
Housing	Severe rent crisis	Tourist rentals increase prices
Transport	Expensive, unreliable	Efficient but crowded
Politics	Progressive under Mamdani	Left-leaning localism
Main Concerns	Inequality, affordability	Over Tourism, housing pressure

Discussion:

Which city manages housing better?
Could Mamdani’s ideas work in Barcelona? Why or why not?

8. Comprehension & Critical Questions

Who is Zohran Mamdani, and what makes his election historic?
What challenges are New Yorkers currently facing?
List three key policies Mamdani plans to implement.
How did his grassroots campaign gain popularity?
Why do some businesses and investors fear his leadership?
What does “democratic socialist” mean in this context?
How might a rent freeze affect landlords and tenants differently?
How could raising the minimum wage to $30/hour affect small businesses?
Why are some voters planning to leave New York after his election?
What values or beliefs guide Mamdani’s policies?
How does Mamdani’s background influence his political message?
What are the potential risks of his economic policies?
What might “grassroots politics” teach us about civic participation?
If you were mayor, what would be your top three priorities?
How are grassroots movements similar in both cities?
If Mamdani were mayor of Barcelona, what policies might work — or fail?

9.Fill-in-the-Blanks (Choose the Correct Word)

Word Bank (use each word once)

| stability | volunteers | | step down | terms | ambitious | | exodus | inequality | back to back | | minimum wage | historic | bribed |slap on the wrist ||nominated |mayoress | nickname |made the rounds | current | got away with it| approachable | tied the knot |former | raised | bargain| bucket |an arm and a leg| ma and pa

Fill in the blanks using the correct word from the word bank.

Mamdani’s election was considered __________.
Mamdani was born in Uganda, but was in New York since he was 7 years old.
Thousands of __________ helped organize his campaign.
Many New Yorkers were concerned about an __________ of businesses.
His policies aim to reduce __________ in the city.
He is the son of an Oscar__________ filmmaker and an academic.
Mamdani wants to raise the __________ to $30/hour by 2030.
Critics worry about the city’s economic __________.
His challenge is to turn __________ promises into practical results.
Before big corportate chains, New York was full of locally owned business. These are also called shops .

11. Rama Duwaji is the wife of Mamdani, the mayor of New York. What is her title?

12. The Mayor of New York is elected for 4 years. However, if he is re-elected then the maximum time he can serve is 8 years in total. This means that he has a maximum of 2 as mayor.

13. If one day the mayor suddenly decides to stop being the mayor, then he .

14. If the mayor broke the law but nothing happened to him, then he

15.If the president broke the law but only received a small punishment for a crime that deserves a much bigger punishment, then he got a .

16. The Big Apple is the of New York City.

17. Mamdini and his wife got married earlier this year. What is another word for got married?

18. The mayor broke the law but instead of going to jail he offered the police money .

He the police in order to avoid going to jail.

19. If Mamdani won the elections twice in a row, or two times consecutively, then we can also say he won the elections .

20. One of the reasons that New Yorkers said they voted for Mamdani, is that they think that he seems friendly and easy to talk to. That means that he appears to be very .

21.The news that Mamdani became mayor received a lot of exposure in the media. It .

22. Ada Colau is the mayor of Barcelona and Jaume Collboni is the mayor.

23. Rent in New York is so expensive. To rent an appartment in New York would cost

24. In the past, renting an appartment in New York was very affordable. You could rent a big appartment in a good location and not pay a lot. It used to be a .

25. If you have never been to New York, but it something you would love to do one day, then it is on your list.

Search This Blog

English Time with Yves