Mamdani to Become New York City’s 111^th Mayor

By MIKE LEE

Mayor Elect Zohran Mamdani with Brooklyn Museum members earlier this year.

“While we cast our ballots alone, we chose hope together.”
— New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani

In a historic election that likely marks the beginning. of a new era in American politics, Zohran Mamdani defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo with more than 50% of the vote on Nov. 4 to become the next mayor of New York City.

Mamdani, a New York State Assemblymember representing Astoria, rode a tide of enthusiastic support that crossed racial, age, and gender lines, building an organic coalition around his appeal for an affordable, high quality of life for all New Yorkers.

Mamdani thanked his voters and campaign volunteers in his victory speech after the Associated Press and other major media outlets declared him the winner of the election.

“Tonight, we have spoken in a clear voice: Hope is alive. Hope is a decision that tens of thousands of New Yorkers made day after day, volunteer shift after volunteer shift, despite attack ad after attack ad. More than a million of us stood in our churches, in gymnasiums, in community centers as we filled in the ledger of democracy.”

DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido celebrated Mamdani’s triumph and a complete sweep of the union’s endorsed candidates, including several hard-fought City Council races in the Bronx, Southern Brooklyn, and Staten Island.

“Tonight’s results have made one thing very clear: workingclass New Yorkers are fed up with a system that benefits the few over the many,” Garrido said. “We’re proud to be one of the first unions to endorse Zohran for mayor, and we look forward to working with his administration to ensure New York City becomes an affordable place for all who live here, especially those who make this city run. On behalf of our active and retired members, I congratulate Mayor-elect Mamdani on this incredible victory.”

Decisive Win for DC 37-Endorsed Candidates

The biggest City Council win took place in the Bronx’s District 13, where DC 37 volunteer member organizers door knocked and canvassed for weeks to secure a win for Shirley Aldebol, Executive Vice President of 32BJ SEIU, ultimately flipping the seat to make the Bronx a blue borough once again. In 2023, incumbent Kristy Marmorato became the first Republican to win a Council seat in the Bronx in over two decades.

A long-time union activist, Aldebol also served as Organizing Director and Northeast Region Director at AFSCME and was previously an Executive Vice President at DC 37 SSEU Local 371.

DC 37’s “Green Machine” played a prominent role in the victories by Mamdani and other progressive Democrats. Volunteers worked relentlessly, spreading the DC 37 message through door-to-door outreach in key neighborhoods, working in phone banks, and distributing flyers to potential voters throughout the early voting period and on Election Day.

Joyce McClammy, a member and Vice President of Local 205 Day Care Employees, brought her leadership skills, union activism, and positive spirit to the phone bank at DC 37 headquarters.

“I joined the union in 2004 as a daycare worker at a center in the Bronx,” said McClammy, who later served the Local as a Shop Steward.

“I enjoyed being a shop steward,” she continued. “I love learning about how unions operate, and I prefer to gather my information firsthand. I enjoy doing what I do because someone must be the voice for our children. They can’t speak for themselves. I’ve been that voice, and I’ll continue to do it.”

On Election Day, McClammy was the first to arrive at the phone bank to begin dialing union households and turn out the vote.

“With all that’s going on, we are here to stand strong.”