Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral primary election has sparked online discourse and a wave of support from Arab and Muslim Americans. In defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mamdani has become the first Muslim American to secure a major party nomination in the city’s history.

He secured 56 percent of the vote, according to reports.

Mamdani, who serves as a state assemblyman from Queens, is a Democratic Socialist largely focused on tackling the affordability crisis in New York City. He coined the campaign slogan, “A City We Can Afford.” Born in Uganda, he moved to the United States with his family when he was 7-years-old.

This win, in a metropolis with an estimated population of more than 8 million people, is being acclaimed as a success for working-class progressive policies. However, for Muslim American leaders, it’s a step toward shattering the glass ceiling — one they say has hindered political normalization and visibility for them in the political sphere.

What do Arab American leaders have to say?

Abed Hammoud, former assistant U.S. Attorney and Wayne County prosecutor and founder of the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC), told The Arab American News he remembers the backlash he received during his 2001 mayoral bid in Dearborn for being Muslim.

“Muslim Americans are Americans above everything else,” he said. “Running for office shows a willingness to serve and the more Muslim Americans accept to step forward and serve, to serve their country in different positions, elected or appointed or otherwise, the more the American public at large will realize that much of the chatter about us is just that — it’s chatter and it’s unfair attacks. At the end of the day, we are part of this fabric of this society and we should participate including by serving and by running for office. I don’t know why it’s always special attention given when a Muslim runs for office or wins a position. Why? We are no different from any other American here; we pay our taxes, do our dues.

“It tells others ‘don’t listen to those who tell you you cannot do it or you should not do it because of who you are,'” he added. “It tells people again we are Americans like everybody else, and then we have a duty to step forward and run for office when we think we can do a good job and serve the positions.”

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) commended Mamdani’s campaign in a Facebook post.

“Your grassroots movement shows what’s possible when we lead with bold, inclusive and optimistic vision of the future centered on the everyday needs of working class Americans,” she wrote. “Thank you for never wavering and running as you are.”

Wayne County Deputy Executive Assad Turfe, who has more than two decades of public service, described Mamdani’s win as a pivotal moment.

“Zohran Mamdani’s primary victory is more than just a personal win — it’s a powerful reminder that we’re making real progress in this country,” Turfe said. “Progress is when people who don’t look like us, don’t worship like us and don’t come from the same background still choose to support us because they believe in our values and our vision. That’s when you know you’re breaking through. Winning a mayoral primary in a city like New York is a glass ceiling in itself. Winning the general — that’s the next one to shatter. And we’re getting closer every day.”

State Rep. Alabas Farhat

State Rep. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn) said this “shatters the status quo.”

“Seeing a leader like Zohran Mamdani win in the city as diverse as New York proves one thing,” Farhat said. “If you take the time to understand the issues that people are going through and focus on connecting with them about how that you can win.

Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun called Mamdani’s victory historic while also urging the Democratic Party to support him.

“I think there’s a lot of focus on his religion,” he said. “And the way I look at it, if it was a White person who’s progressive with a similar win, would there be much emphasis on him?”

Baydoun pointed out that Mamdani is the presumptive Democratic nominee for the general election and said that if the Democratic establishment does not rally behind him, it could reflect badly on the party.

“If they don’t rally behind him and, you know, they work against him behind the scenes to defeat him just because he’s a Muslim, this is not good for the Democratic Party party next year,” he said.

“This will be bad news for the 2026 mid-term election,” he added. “So I hope since he’s the Democratic nominee that all the Democrats in New York and throughout the country will rally behind him so he can win this seat in the general election in November.”

Several politicians have expressed opposition to Mamdani. His faith — a part of his identity he has not shied away from on the campaign trail — has drawn backlash. Still, some see his win as a positive sign for other Muslim Americans aspiring to run for office — viewing it as a signal that faith may not be a focus for voters; instead, the efforts and aims of the campaign are.

In the general election in November, Mamdani faces Mayor Eric Adams, a Democratic candidate running for re-election as an independent, and Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, who is running as a Republican, among others.