Flashback: Inside the political movement that put a socialist in charge of New York City Zohran Mamdani is poised to be sworn in as New York City’s next mayor on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026 — the culmination of a political campaign that propelled a socialist to power in the economic epicenter of the United States. In a race that was widely considered a fight for the city’s future, Mamdani defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a contentious Election Day battle on Nov. 4, 2025.