Zohran Mamdani has made history in New York, the largest city in the United States. This Muslim politician of South Asian descent has been elected as the city’s first Muslim mayor.

His success has captured the attention of the entire world and opened a new chapter in democratic politics, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday (November 5).

The media outlet says Mamdani made history by taking over the leadership of the city of more than 8.4 million people. He is the first Muslim, the first person of South Asian descent, and the first person born in Africa to hold the position in New York.

The 34-year-old politician, a member of the New York State Assembly, was scheduled to speak at a victory ceremony at Brooklyn’s Paramount Theater on Tuesday night, but on Monday he thanked supporters, saying, “History is being made in this city today because of you.”

Meanwhile, voters in the multi-ethnic and multi-religious city see Mamdani’s victory as a symbol of progress. But his supporters say it was not about religion or ethnic identity, but rather the way he campaigned on real issues like reducing the cost of living.

Al Jazeera says the election has also become a beacon for the future of the US Democratic Party. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo represented the “old school” influenced by wealthy donors, while Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, represents the progressive views of a new generation.

“This is a kind of civil war within the Democratic Party. The far left, led by socialists, is now challenging the centrists,” Cuomo said as he cast his vote on Tuesday.

Joshua Wilson, 33, a social worker from the Mote Haven neighborhood of the Bronx, voted for Mamdani. “In a time when America is politically divided, with Donald Trump in his second term, it’s important to have new, young voices,” he said.

“We saw Cuomo — he wasn’t good. Mamdani is new, young, maybe he can make some difference,” said Lucy Cordero, 68.

“Mamdani’s position is more left-leaning than mine, but given the overall situation in the country, we need a leader with his views. I supported him because we have nothing to lose,” said Megan Marks, a 52-year-old freelancer from Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

However, President Donald Trump announced his support for Cuomo just hours before the election, a move that was intended to rally conservative voters but is believed to have had the opposite effect.

“I didn’t vote for Mamdani in the primary,” said 55-year-old lawyer Alex Lawrence. “I thought later that there was positivity and honesty in his words. I wanted to give him a chance.”

“Mamdani’s biggest strength in this election is the unity of Muslim and South Asian voters,” said Bangladeshi-origin driver Iftekhar Khan. “His victory is a new beginning for us, given the reality of how Muslims have been discriminated against since the 9/11 attacks in 2001.”