Organizers who brought him to the verge of victory are looking ahead to the challenges of democratic governance.

Tasha Cloud, the New York Liberty’s star point guard, was pulled aside on July 3 for an interview after practice. “You were on the road,” a WNBA reporter began, “when Zohran wins the primary the other day.” At the mention of Zohran Mamdani’s name, Cloud broke into a wide grin and interrupted him: “That’s Mamdani. That’s my boy!” Referring to Donald Trump’s threat to deport the democratic socialist if he wins the New York City mayoral race on Nov. 4, Cloud added, “For all of us in New York, I’m just gonna ask that we continue to be on the right path to history — that we protect one another, that we protect Mamdani and what he wants to do.”

What Zohran Mamdani “wants to do” continues to dominate conversations in New York City. When I asked a young technician at Apple about Mamdani as he helped fix my phone back in July, he said Mamdani had inspired him to vote for the first time. “Do you know how I found out about him?” he asked. “He came to my neighborhood! He came to the park where I was playing basketball! And you know what he said? He wanted to know what I think we need in this city.”

By: Hadas Thier, October 5, 2025

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