Democrat Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist mayoral candidate, made headlines by announcing an extended trip to Africa while campaigning for New York City mayor. The trip sparked controversy as he was criticized for ‘going back to Africa,’ but Mamdani defended his decision, stating that it was a personal celebration of his marriage to his wife, Rama. He humorously claimed he would return by the end of the month, adding that he would be back to New York to continue his campaign. Mamdani also mocked potential media coverage, suggesting humorous headlines for the New York Post, including “Uganda Miss Me” or “He Africa-n’t Be Serious.” His trip comes as he faces competition from former Governor Andrew Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, both running as independent candidates.
Mamdani, who defeated Andrew Cuomo by more than 12 percentage points last month, securing the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City, released a video anticipating criticisms of his trip to Uganda. In a defiant, yet playful tone, Mamdani called out what he said have been “thousands” of messages on X telling him to “go back to Uganda where you come from and belong” and “go back to Africa.” “Being a politician means listening, not just to your supporters, but your critics too,” Mamdani said. “And some of these critics – especially on a certain website – have been giving me consistent advice.”
“I hear you, and I agree. I’m going back to Uganda,” Mamdani said. The mayoral hopeful said he was headed to Uganda “in a personal capacity” to celebrate his marriage to his wife, Rama, with their family and friends.
“I do want to apologize to the haters, because I will be coming back,” he said. Mamdani added in the accompanying X post that he’d be back “by the end of the month.”
Attempting to assert control over the narrative, Mamdani offered some imaginary headlines condemning his overseas travel. “And since you will undoubtedly read about this trip in the New York Post, inshallah [Arabic for God willing], on the front page, here are a few of my humble suggestions for headlines,” Mamdani said, jabbing at the New York-based newspaper.
He proposed tabloid headlines including “M.I.A.? Mandani in Africa,” “Uganda Miss Me,” or “He’s Kampala-etely Crazy,” a reference to Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda. Mamdani also suggested the headlines: “He Africa-n’t Be Serious!” and “Carl Kampalanile Investigates Mamdani” – a satirical take on the name of American investigative journalist Carl Bernstein, who uncovered the Watergate scandal.
“Zo-Running Away?” Mamdani said, offering one last imagined headline before the video showed himself and another campaign supporter waving to the camera and the screen fading to “Zohran for Mayor.”
Meanwhile, Mamdani holds dual U.S. and Ugandan citizenship. He was born in Uganda and was raised in South Africa until moving to New York City at age 7. He owns four acres of undeveloped land in Jinja, Uganda, that’s valued between $150,000 and $250,000, the New York Post previously reported, citing Mamdani’s 2024 New York Legislative Ethics filing.
Despite this, resurfaced social media video shows Mamdani in the past has floated the “abolition of private property” – a principle of communism. His mother is an acclaimed Indian American filmmaker. She reportedly owned a nearly $2 million New York City loft for about a decade before recently selling the property, according to the Post.
His father is a Columbia University professor who sits on the advisory council of an anti-Israel organization. The organization supports boycotts and sanctions of Israel, routinely accuses the Israeli government of committing “genocide,” and has expressed sympathy for suicide bombers.
Mamdani’s candidacy has sparked concern from the Jewish community, as he declined to condemn the term “globalize the intifada” – a stance he has since walked back while courting local business owners. Meanwhile, New York City college campuses, including Columbia University, have faced rising antisemitism and anti-Israel protests and encampments in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas terrorists in Israel.
Mamdani himself has defended BDS, or the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, saying at a May town hall that the anti-Israel movement “is consistent with my core of my politics, which is nonviolence.”
Crimics of Mamdani have also condemned how he’s campaigned on socialist ideals, including government-run grocery stores and rent freezes, despite his wealthy upbringing.
Having won the Democratic mayoral primary, Mamdani has emerged as the frontrunner, and he is backed by progressives in Congress, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Sentence Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have been more cautious with Mamdani.
It’s extremely rare for candidates who win the Democratic mayoral primary to lose the November general election, but Mamdani still faces Cuomo, who formally declared his independent mayoral bid last week. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is also running as an independent, as is former federal prosecutor Jim Walden. “Guardian Angels” founder Curtis Sliwa is the Republican mayoral candidate.