Oxford Brookes students welcome Mamdani's election as New York mayor
Students and staff at Oxford Brookes University are enthusiastic following Zohran Mamdani’s victory, seeing it as a symbol of growing international support for progressive politics.
Mamdani, representing New York’s 36th District, was elected with a clear majority, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and the Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
Becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani, who describes himself as a democratic socialist and stood up to Trump during the mayoral campaign, is regarded as Trump’s worst nightmare. During his victory speech, Mamdani stated, ‘’If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.’’ He also spoke directly to Donald Trump during his speech, telling him, “I know you’re watching, turn the volume up.”
Senior lecturer in education, Matt Wimpy-Smith, regards the victory as an opportunity for America to consider its next steps. He also sees it as a chance for Gen Z and millennials to assume leading roles in politics.
The 34-year-old, elected on the Democratic ticket, campaigned on issues such as housing justice, economic equality, and police reform. With policies including free buses and childcare, and he has vowed to freeze rent in the city’s rent-controlled homes, he plans to raise taxes on the city’s wealthiest residents.
These themes resonate with the concerns of many young voters and activists at Oxford Brookes.
Mamdani’s personal background, as the son of Ugandan and Indian immigrants raised in New York, has also drawn attention among international students and those studying international relations.
Murphy Pound, an international relations master’s student from Georgia, said he’s excited by Mamdani’s election victory and is particularly interested in his plan to open city-run grocery stores. But has concerns over how much of Mamdani’s policies and ideas can be implemented given the structure of the American political system.
While Ghada Hoaz, a master’s student in spatial planning, is happy with the result, but is concerned about how Donald Trump may react, as he has already mentioned that he would cut funding to the city if Mamdani were to be elected.
Some students are more cautious about the outcome, such as Hasan Demiroz, who studies advanced architecture, and who believes that Mamdani, as a Muslim, cannot support the Muslim minority of New York and be an ally for LGBT+ at the same time, according to Muslim beliefs, and is interested in how Mamdani will juggle the two conflicting beliefs going forward.