As early voting kicked off on October 26, 2025, for New York City’s mayoral race, Zohran Mamdani found himself both at the center of an electrifying campaign and the eye of a political storm. The 34-year-old candidate, who proudly describes himself as a “democratic socialist,” is leading the polls ahead of the November 4 general election. But while his campaign has energized thousands and focused on the city’s affordability crisis, it has also drawn fierce scrutiny from congressional Republicans and conservative commentators, with some even calling for his citizenship to be revoked and for him to be deported.
Mamdani’s journey to the top of New York’s political scene is a story in itself. Born in Uganda, he moved to New York City at the age of seven when his father began teaching at Columbia University. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018, and his candidacy is historic: he is openly Muslim, of Gujarati-Punjabi descent, and if elected, would be the first mayor of New York City from such a background. As reported by National Herald, his campaign has resonated with a broad coalition of New Yorkers, including large segments of the city’s Muslim, South Asian, and even young Jewish communities, despite facing Islamophobic and racist attacks throughout the race.
But Mamdani’s rise has not gone unchallenged. According to New York Post, House Republicans, notably Rep. Randy Fine of Florida and Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, have called for investigations into Mamdani’s citizenship status. Their argument centers on Mamdani’s membership in the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which they allege is a communist organization. U.S. immigration law bars naturalization for those affiliated with communist or totalitarian parties, and Republicans claim that failing to disclose such affiliations could be grounds for denaturalization and deportation.
“No matter how many times these Republican Congress members or the president of this country calls me a communist, it doesn’t make it true,” Mamdani told New York Post on Sunday, October 26. He has consistently denied being a communist, emphasizing that while he is a proud member of the DSA, the organization is not officially a communist party—though, as New York Post notes, some members do identify as communists. “I’m proud to be a democratic socialist,” Mamdani added, brushing off allegations that he lied on his 2018 naturalization paperwork by not disclosing his DSA membership.
The controversy has reached fever pitch on social media, with conservative voices on X (formerly Twitter) echoing calls for Mamdani’s deportation. As reported by Hindustan Times, some posts accused him of “faking his citizenship” and “pushing his religious beliefs by force and hatred.” Others shared images suggesting communist sympathies and called for voters to support his Republican rival, Curtis Sliwa. The online outrage was further fueled by an image of Mamdani with imam Siraj Wahhaj, who was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing—though Mamdani himself has never been accused of any wrongdoing in that regard.
Rep. Andy Ogles has gone so far as to request a Department of Justice investigation into Mamdani, alleging that he failed to disclose his DSA membership during the naturalization process. “In 2018 when he was naturalized, he failed to disclose some of the things that he had been doing, one of which was joining the [Democratic] Socialists of America. That’s a communist organization which, quite frankly, at that time, would have disqualified him from becoming a United States citizen,” Ogles told Newsmax. Rep. Fine, meanwhile, has demanded a review of all naturalizations over the past 30 years, starting with Mamdani. “I just think we need to take a hard look at how these folks became citizens, and if there is any fraud or any violation of the rules we need to denaturalize and deport,” Fine said to New York Post.
The Justice Department has not ruled out an investigation, but, as a spokesperson told New York Post, “Due to the Democrats’ shutdown, congressional correspondence is delayed. The department does not comment on the status of ongoing or potential investigations.” Mamdani, for his part, has criticized Republicans for focusing on his citizenship during a federal government shutdown that has left millions of Americans facing the loss of healthcare and forced military families to rely on food banks. “I think it is telling that in a moment where their Republican Party has shut down the federal government out of an attempt to throw four million Americans off their healthcare, a moment when active duty military families are forced to line up at food banks, they would rather focus on my citizenship,” he told New York Post.
Beyond the controversy, Mamdani’s campaign has been notable for its energy and grassroots organization. According to National Herald, his focus on affordability struck a chord in a city where one-fourth of the population lives in poverty, despite being home to 350,000 millionaires and 123 billionaires. His platform includes a four-year rent freeze for the city’s two million rent-stabilized tenants, free childcare for children up to age five (a benefit that could save working families around $22,000 annually), and free buses. This message, unwavering since the start of his campaign, has been amplified by a volunteer army that grew from 50,000 in June to nearly double that by late October—many of whom are DSA members.
His campaign team, composed mostly of young and relatively inexperienced organizers, has outperformed seasoned political consultants, relying on direct outreach, door-to-door canvassing, and an innovative social media strategy that has become a model for political campaigns nationwide. As National Herald observes, “His dazzling social media output will be studied for years as a model. Indeed, even many months ago, politicians across America were already copying it—though most of them badly, because they lack Mamdani’s ability to make it all look effortless and fun.”
Meanwhile, the broader debate over assimilation and immigration has been reignited by Mamdani’s candidacy. On the same day that voting began, Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich discussed the challenges faced by both legal and illegal immigrants in assimilating into American society on ‘Life, Liberty & Levin.’ While Mamdani’s background and identity have made him a target for some, they have also helped him build bridges across New York’s diverse communities, reflecting the city’s status as a melting pot where 40 percent of residents were born outside the United States.
As the race enters its final stretch, Mamdani leads his rivals, former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, in the polls. His campaign, rooted in issues of affordability and inclusion, stands as a stark contrast to the political attacks he faces. If elected, he would not only make history as New York City’s first Gujarati–Punjabi, openly Muslim mayor, but could also signal a broader shift in American politics—one that embraces diversity, grassroots activism, and a renewed focus on working-class issues.
For now, all eyes are on New York as voters decide whether the city’s next chapter will be written by a “happy warrior” who has weathered attacks with resilience and optimism, or by the forces seeking to define the boundaries of American identity and belonging.
