Muslim voters said their pride for Zohran Mamdani has been tempered by an uptick in what they view as Islamophobic attacks against him.

Watching Zohran Mamdani run for mayor of New York City has been an eye-opening experience for Sabah Munawar.

As a Muslim who grew up in the shadow of Sept. 11, Ms. Munawar said she was amazed that Mr. Mamdani seemed to be on the verge of becoming New York City’s mayor, and having done so while fully embracing his faith on the campaign trail.

But as Islamophobic sentiment about Mr. Mamdani has grown in reach and frequency, she has realized there is a dark side to his success.

“Some days I look at it and think, this feels worse, because back then so many people were in the shadows and scared and so they weren’t visible,” Ms. Munawar, a project manager, said during an interview at MAS Youth Center in Bath Beach, Brooklyn. “And now people are saying, ‘we are here,’ and the vitriol is worse.”

Mr. Mamdani, who maintains a double-digit lead in most polls, is seeking to become the first Muslim mayor of New York City — an obvious point of pride for the many Muslims nestled in pockets throughout the city that stretch from Little Yemen in the Bronx to Little Bangladesh in Brooklyn.

But in dozens of interviews this week, Muslim voters said their excitement has been tempered by an uptick i