It’s Up to YOU, New York

Zohran Mamdani’s surge to clinch the Democratic nomination for NYC mayor has left America’s largest city facing a self-declared socialist and pro-Palestinian activist. Does his rise mean that the city has swung left? To the city’s Jewish community, the answer may not matter

Back in January, when former governor Andrew Cuomo’s chances of becoming the next mayor of New York City seemed almost guaranteed, a little-known state legislator with an unfamiliar name posted a video on his TikTok account.

“New York is suffering from a crisis, and it’s called halal-flation,” says Zohran Mamdani, a telegenic 33-year-old state assemblyman who identifies as a Democratic Socialist, then trailing Cuomo by somewhere between 30 to 40 points — if you believe the polls.

Mamdani gets into one of the ubiquitous New York City food carts — which are almost as iconic to the city as skyscrapers are — and asks the vendor how much a “plate of halal” costs these days. He gets them to complain about how a street permit — which costs $500 directly from the city — costs them upwards of $20,000, because the process is so backlogged, they have no choice but to rent it from a permit holder.

With a showman’s flair, Mamdani delivers the kicker: “Chicken over rice now costs $10 or more. It’s time to make halal eight bucks again.”