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It’s Election Day in the U.S., and many eyes are focused on the New York City mayoral race, where 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani is poised to take the helm of the nation’s most populous city.

The Democratic candidate — a Uganda-born, Manhattan-raised state assemblyman and Democratic socialist — rose to prominence through a grassroots campaign relentlessly focused on the high cost of living. He has vowed to "transform the most expensive city in the United States of America into one that’s affordable to each and every person who calls it home.”

His sudden ascent caught many by surprise. The son of immigrants, he spent his formative years rapping, playing cricket and attending New York public schools — where he made his first, albeit unsuccessful, foray into politics. Later, he attended a prestigious university in New England before working as a housing counselor.

For the past four years, he has represented parts of Queens in Albany, where he has positioned himself as a staunch advocate for the working class.

Mamdani is now widely