As a candidate, he eschewed the idea - saying he would be too busy governing to march. "I haven't thought much about parades, to be honest with you," Mamdani said during a general election debate. But as a mayor who rose to power by appealing to oft-overlooked constituencies like young, South Asian and Muslim voters, Mamdani has also governed with a pragmatic streak.
I promise you this: if you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor. Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you, and never, not for a second, hide from you, Mamdani told the crowd gathered at his inauguration, adding: I thank the labor and movement leaders here today, the activists and the elected officials who will return to fighting for New Yorkers the second this ceremony concludes, and the performers who have gifted us with their talent.
"Most college applications don't have a box for Indian-Ugandans, so I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background," said Mamdani in an interview.
