Zohran Mamdani took a direct confrontational stance against US President Donald Trump as he addressed supporters after being projected the winner of the New York City mayoral election late on Tuesday.
"In this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light," Mamdani said at an event in the New York borough of Brooklyn.
Mamdani addressed Trump, whose administration has taken drastic action against people who had entered the country illegally, directly in his remarks.
"New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant," said the 34-year-old, who moved to the East Coast metropolis from Uganda with his family at the age of 7.
"So hear me, President Trump, when I say this," he continued. "To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us."
According to unanimous projections by US media, the left-leaning Democrat has won the mayoral election over former Democratic state governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
If the result is confirmed, Mamdani would become the first Muslim mayor of New York City.
Beyond being a cultural and economic powerhouse, New York City carries significant political weight, with a population of roughly 8 million.
Mamdani's victory challenges established power structures in US politics. The 34-year-old represents a clear break from the Democratic Party's traditional centrist line and has become a political target for Trump and the Republicans.
On the eve of the election, Trump threatened to limit federal funding to the legal minimum if Mamdani won.
