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'Drink some...': Zohran Mamdani did this after winning New York mayoral race
Zohran Mamdani described the job of New York Mayor as an opportunity to "deliver for people who have come to expect so little".
New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani said the first thing he did after finding out that he had won the race was “drink some water," adding that it took a moment for him to settle after hearing the news.
The 34-year-old democratic socialist won the New York City Mayoral election, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Silwa.
When asked about where he was and what he was doing when he learned about his win, Mamdani responded, saying, “ I think the first thing I did was drink some water. And it took a moment for it to settle in.”
Also read: Zohran Mamdani's four-word message for Donald Trump after big NY election win
Describing the experience of winning the elections, Mamdani said that people often describe the job of New York Mayor with “the language of burden”; however, he feels that it is an opportunity to “deliver for people who have come to expect so little”, BBC reported, quoting Mamdani.
For his future plans, Mamdani said that he will stay focused on delivering for New Yorkers "each and every day".
During his campaign earlier, Mamdani promised free childcare and buses, 200,000 new units of affordable housing and city-owned grocery stores, funded by raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy or borrowing.
Also read: Meet Mamdani’s campaign team that reached out to millions of New Yorkers
Meanwhile, Mamdani proclaimed his victory “a mandate for a city we can afford” in a speech late Tuesday after securing a majority of the vote.
In his victory speech, Mamdani expressed gratitude towards his mother, filmmaker Mira Nair, for her support and also invoked the words of Jawaharlal Nehru from his Tryst with Destiny speech.
He also referred to his victory over Cuomo, stating, “My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty.”
After victory, Mamdani now plans to impose a citywide rent freeze, universal childcare, and expanded public housing.
