A mayor with global roots: Zohran Mamdani's rise resonates far beyond New York

By Kate Bartlett,

Diaa Hadid, Fatima Al-Kassab

Published November 5, 2025 at 5:09 PM EST

Uganda-born son of Indian immigrants turned NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani is drawing global attention — especially from progressives eyeing his playbook.

Kate Bartlett

Diaa Hadid

Diaa Hadid chiefly covers Pakistan and Afghanistan for NPR News. She is based in NPR's bureau in Islamabad. There, Hadid and her team were awarded a Murrow in 2019 for hard news for their story on why abortion rates in Pakistan are among the highest in the world.

See stories by Diaa Hadid

Fatima Al-Kassab

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