Mamdani: The Unique Voice of NYC’s First African-Born Mayor

The job is local. The platform is global. This is the fundamental paradox facing every mayor of New York City, a metropolis of 8.5 million souls that also serves as the de facto capital of the world, and the home of the United Nations with its 193 member states. Most nations have U.N. offices in New York as well as missions. It’s arguably the most diverse city on earth, with 180 languages spoken in its public schools.

While the quotidian duties of New York City’s mayor require an obsessive focus on sanitation and safety...