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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 c

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