Zohran Mamdani, then a mayoral candidate in New York, greets a bodega worker on October 29, 2025, in the Bronx. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images New York —

New York’s wealthiest had warned of a business exodus if Zohran Mamdani won Tuesday’s mayoral race. But for small business owners like Kadjahtou Balde, Mamdani’s victory is a reason to stay in one of the country’s most expensive cities.

“As somebody who is a young person, who is a mom, who is an entrepreneur, who’s a (child of an) immigrant, existing in New York is something that is very difficult,” said Balde, who runs a modest thrift store in Harlem. “Mamdani is now another reason for me to actually believe that I can make it in the city.”

Mamdani’s meteoric ascent from local politics to City Hall was boosted by a base tha

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