A surge towards sunshine in the political arena

ZOHRAN MAMDANI, WHO is a shoo-in to be elected as mayor of NewYork City on November 4, is to my mind a worthy successor to Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, whowere the last great global leaders we have seen.And while NYC may seem a little parochial in comparison with the entire world, I believe Mamdani’s rise is a response to a world that appears to have reached a breaking point.

- JAMAL MECKLAI

He isayoung man (34), proudly Muslim (certainly not the most popular religion inan increasingly MAGA-fied US), smart, social media savvy, photogenic,and, most importantly, eminently sensible. His platform is built to make life in New York affordable for all, with a focus on childcare, public transportation, city-run grocery stores, and controlling rents. He will win by a landslide because these are the issues that the majority of New Yorkers (and, indeed, people across the US) are concerned about. Ina 2025 study, Deloitte found: “A total of 48% of Gen Zs and 46% of millennials don’t feel financially secure, up sharply from 2024,when it was 30% and 32%, respectively. Over half said they live paycheck to paycheck and a third struggle with expenses. One in three have side jobs, predominantly for income but also to gain skills or feel more fulfilled”