Zohran Mamdani Is NYC Mayor But He Can Never Become US President. Here's Why

Last Updated:November 06, 2025, 12:49 IST

Mamdani, 34, was born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian-Ugandan parents---filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani. (AFP)

In a historic upset, Zohran Mamdani is set to become New York City’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor in a moment that is being hailed as transformative for urban politics in the United States. However, amid the celebrations, a constitutional clause dating back more than two centuries stands in the 34-year-old’s way: despite leading America’s biggest city, Mamdani can never run for its highest office.

Mamdani, 34, was born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian-Ugandan parents—filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani. He went on to become a naturalised US citizen in 2018. Armed with an unapologetically progressive agenda, Mamdani’s rise from grassroots activism to City Hall has been rapid. In his victory speech, quoting Jawaharlal Nehru, Mamdani said: “A moment comes when we step out from the old to the new—when an age ends."

He added: “I am young and I am a Muslim. I refuse to apologise for being a Muslim." Taking on President Donald Trump directly, Mamdani said: “So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up."

While his ascent may have been meteoric, Mamdani’s supporters will never be able to see him wear the US President’s crown. This is because the socialist faces an immovable barrier—Article II, Section 1 of the US Constitution states: “No person except a natural-born citizen … shall be eligible to the Office of President."

Because Mamdani was born outside the US to non-citizen parents, he is constitutionally barred from ever seeking the presidency—the same rule that has blocked other naturalised American leaders in the past.

According to Firstpost, the “natural-born" requirement was inserted by the Founding Fathers to guard against perceived foreign influence, and despite modern debates about inclusion, no serious attempt to amend it has ever succeeded.

So, while Mamdani can serve as mayor, senator, or even governor, the Oval Office will always be closed to him.

The roadblock for Mamdani has raised a deeper question for modern America: Can a nation built by immigrants still deny its naturalised citizens the chance to hold its highest office? Mamdani too touched upon the issue in his victory speech as he said: “New York will remain a city of immigrants: a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant."

South Asians constitute one of the fastest-growing communities in the United States, totalling more than five million people, and have made major inroads into politics—notably former vice president Kamala Harris, whose mother was from India.

News world Zohran Mamdani Is NYC Mayor But He Can Never Become US President. Here's Why

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