Zohran Mamdani's New York

"On New Year's Day in 2025, Zohran Mamdani dove into the wintery seas off Coney Island to film a video for his long-shot mayoral campaign. Today, a year later, he has been sworn in as mayor of New York City-and for his first hundred days in office I'll be writing a column about this new, historic mayor and his city."

"The plutocrat and the socialist might sound like an odd pairing. (And-it must be noted-Bloomberg did spend some nine and a half million dollars trying to defeat Mamdani.) Both men, though, were political newcomers, comparatively unhampered by the baggage of more conventional candidates. And both command vast reserves of an essential resource: in Bloomberg's case, money, and, in Mamdani's, attention."

Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York City after a year since he filmed a long-shot campaign video diving into Coney Island's wintery sea. His first hundred days will shape a historic, uncertain administration that prompts comparisons to Michael Bloomberg, another political newcomer who commanded vast resources. Bloomberg relied on money while Mamdani commands attention. Both men entered office without conventional political baggage. The Kennedy Center has been made radioactive by President Trump and allies, leaving the institution in chaos. Cultural coverage and puzzles accompany reporting on the new mayor and city politics.

Read at The New Yorker