Who is Zara Rahim, the Florida graduate and strategist behind Zohran Mamdani’s historic New York City win?

When Zohran Mamdani pulled off one of the biggest political upsets in recent New York history—defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo and becoming the city’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor—the focus quickly turned to his charisma and youth-driven appeal. But behind the scenes, another story was unfolding: that of Zara Rahim, a University of Central Florida graduate whose voice and vision helped define the campaign’s tone and strategy. For Rahim, now 35, Mamdani’s victory wasn’t just a political win—it was the culmination of a decade-long journey that began in Florida classrooms and took her through the corridors of the White House, the offices of Vogue magazine, and into the heart of one of the most diverse cities in the world. Rahim grew up in South Florida, the daughter