A guide to all the writers, thinkers, and economists Zohran Mamdani referenced in his victory speech

"Beating out former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, Mamdani told supporters at a Brooklyn victory party that they had "toppled a political dynasty" and promised to build a "shining city for all." Mamdani, a New York State representative for the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, has enjoyed a meteoric rise, going from a relative unknown to mayor of one of the world's most important cities in a remarkably short time."

"Mamdani opened his speech by quoting Eugene Debs, a prominent socialist and trade unionist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 1890s, Debs was a key figure in the founding of the American Railway Union, one of the US' first formal industrial unions. The union was involved in the 1894 strike at the Pullman train company's Chicago factory, an event that eventually led to a nationwide railroad boycott and, eventually, the imprisonment of the ARU's leadership, including Debs."

Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral election, defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. He celebrated victory in Brooklyn, saying supporters had "toppled a political dynasty" and pledging a "shining city for all." Mamdani represents Astoria in Queens and rose rapidly from relative obscurity to lead a major global city. After the election was called, he delivered a rousing 22-minute address that referenced historical political figures and thinkers. He opened by quoting Eugene Debs and referenced the Pullman strike and the American Railway Union's role in U.S. labor history.

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