Mayoral Candidate Responds to Citizenship Threats
On Sunday, mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani dismissed threats from some Congressional Republicans aimed at revoking his citizenship related to his naturalization process. He proudly identified himself as a “democratic socialist.”
The 34-year-old candidate refuted allegations that he had lied on his 2018 citizenship application by not declaring his affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). “Simply put, no amount of name-calling from Republicans will make me a communist,” Mamdani told the Sunday Post. He found it “telling” that GOP members seemed more interested in deporting him than in addressing the ongoing government shutdown.
“I take pride in my identity as a democratic socialist,” he continued.
This controversy gained traction after Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) echoed Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) in calling for an investigation into Mamdani’s citizenship. They insist that DSA is essentially a communist organization and argue that his membership could disqualify him from U.S. citizenship based on Congressional guidelines. However, the effectiveness of this argument seems questionable, given that the DSA is not officially classified as a communist party—even though some of its members may identify as such.
Mamdani, originally from Uganda, 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.
Notably, Mamdani has consistently denied being a communist, emphasizing that he is just a member of the DSA, and reiterated this stance when discussing the Fine and Ogles situation. “At a time when Federal Republicans are shutting down the government, impacting millions, it’s concerning they choose to focus on my civil rights instead,” he remarked.
The Republican scrutiny of Mamdani extends beyond just his political affiliations. Earlier, Ogles had also called on the U.S. Attorney General to look into Mamdani’s citizenship due to lyrics from a rap song that appeared to support Hamas.
As the election approaches—set for November 4—Mamdani is currently leading his opponents, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, in the polls.
