Zohran Kwame Mamdani (জোহরান মামদানি) is an American politician who has served as a member of the New York State Assembly from the 36th district, based in Queens, since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, he is the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City in the 2025 election.

Born in Uganda, Mamdani immigrated to the United States as a child and graduated from Bowdoin College in 2014. He worked as a housing advocate and rap music producer in New York City before entering politics. He was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020 after defeating a four-term incumbent and has since been re-elected without opposition. His legislative priorities in the Assembly have included housing reform, transportation, and energy.

Zohran Kwame Mamdani was born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda. His father is Mahmood Mamdani, an Indian-Ugandan and postcolonial studies professor at Columbia University of Gujarati Shia Muslim descent, and his mother is Mira Nair, an Indian-American filmmaker of Punjabi descent. His father gave him the middle name Kwame, in honor of Kwame Nkrumah.

When he was five, Mamdani and his family moved to Cape Town, South Africa. He attended St. George's Grammar School while his father worked at the University of Cape Town. The family moved to New York City when Mamdani was seven. He graduated from the Bank Street School for Children, and then the Bronx High School of Science. Mamdani attended Bowdoin College in Maine, where he co-founded the school's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. He graduated in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in Africana studies.

Before running for office, Mamdani worked as a foreclosure prevention and housing counselor, assisting lower-income homeowners of color in Queens with eviction notices and efforts to remain in their homes. He said the experience motivated him to run for office to address the housing and affordability crisis.

Mamdani is a fan of hip-hop and has composed and produced rap music. In 2016, under the rap moniker "Young Cardamom", he collaborated with Ugandan rapper HAB on an EP titled Sidda Mukyaalo, which is Luganda for "No going back to the village". In 2019, he released a single titled "Nani" under the moniker "Mr. Cardamom". Cookbook author and actress Madhur Jaffrey is featured in the single's music video, playing Mamdani's grandmother.

Mamdani entered New York City politics as a volunteer for Ali Najmi's campaign in the 2015 special election for the 23rd district of the City Council. In 2017, Mamdani joined the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and worked for the campaign of New York City Council candidate Khader El-Yateem, a Palestinian Lutheran minister and democratic socialist from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Mamdani served as the campaign manager for Ross Barkan's 2018 bid for the New York State Senate and was also a field organizer for fellow democratic socialist Tiffany Cabán's 2019 campaign for Queens County District Attorney.

In 2018, Mamdani was naturalized as an American citizen. He is a Shia Muslim and identifies with the Twelver branch. He married Syrian American artist Rama Duwaji in early 2025. As of 2025, the two live in an apartment in Astoria.

Mamdani is a supporter of English football club Arsenal.