Republicans Move to Block Zohran Mamdani from Taking Office After Historic NYC Mayoral Win
Following Zohran Mamdani’s groundbreaking victory in the New York City mayoral election — making him the city’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor-elect — Republican leaders in Washington, D.C., are signaling an aggressive campaign to prevent him from assuming office.
President Donald Trump has been among the most vocal critics of the 34-year-old Ugandan-born politician, labeling him a “communist” and warning prior to the election that he would withhold federal funding from New York City if Mamdani were to win. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist and New York State Assembly member, secured victory last week with a commanding lead, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo by nearly ten percentage points — though he narrowly achieved a majority of the overall vote.
Now, several Republican lawmakers are threatening to challenge his eligibility. Some have called for federal investigations into Mamdani’s naturalization process, alleging that he may have concealed information during his path to citizenship. Others have gone so far as to demand that he be stripped of his U.S. citizenship and deported, citing unverified claims of alleged communist sympathies and ties to figures accused of terrorism.
“If Mamdani lied on his naturalization documents, he doesn’t get to be a citizen — and he certainly doesn’t get to run for mayor of New York City,” said Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) in an October 29 press release. “A great American city is on the precipice of being run by a communist who has publicly embraced a terroristic ideology.”
Ogles has also requested that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi launch a full-scale investigation into Mamdani’s background, according to the Economic Times. “The American naturalization system requires any alignments with communism or terrorist activities to be disclosed,” Ogles said. “I’m doubtful he disclosed them. If the information is confirmed, put him on the first flight back to Uganda.”
Campaign Finance Watchdog Files Criminal Referrals
Adding to the controversy, a campaign finance watchdog group has filed two criminal referrals against Mamdani, accusing his campaign of accepting illegal foreign donations in violation of both federal and state election laws.
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation, a conservative nonprofit, submitted its findings last week to the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The group alleges that Mamdani’s campaign violated the Federal Election Campaign Act and the New York Election Code by accepting donations from foreign nationals.
The referrals came after the New York Post reported that Mamdani’s campaign had received approximately $13,000 in contributions from at least 170 individuals residing outside the United States, including a donation from his mother-in-law in Dubai.
“These are not isolated incidents or clerical errors,” said Dan Backer, a national campaign finance attorney and president of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation. “This was a sustained pattern of foreign money flowing into a New York City mayoral race — a clear violation of both federal law and New York City campaign finance rules.”
Backer added that Mamdani’s team had been warned for months that it was accepting impermissible foreign contributions but “did nothing meaningful to stop it.”
The foundation has a history of filing complaints against prominent Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, and the Democratic National Committee.
In its latest filing, the group urged both the DOJ and DA Bragg to investigate and arrest Mamdani, citing alleged campaign funds originating from Australia, Turkey, France, Canada, Germany, and other nations.
According to federal law, it is illegal for any U.S. candidate to “accept or receive” donations from non-citizens in federal, state, or local elections. Individuals who knowingly violate the statute can face substantial fines and potential imprisonment.
“The law is crystal clear that foreign nationals may not participate in American elections, and that includes making contributions,” Backer emphasized. “Yet Mamdani’s campaign repeatedly accepted donations from individuals abroad, some even linked to regions and individuals openly sympathetic to hostile actors. Whether through negligence or intent, this conduct undermines the integrity of the democratic process.”
In response to the mounting scrutiny, Mamdani’s campaign has reportedly returned about $9,000 in foreign donations, according to the New York Post.
As investigations loom and political pressure intensifies, Mamdani’s historic victory — once hailed as a milestone for representation and diversity in American politics — now faces an escalating series of legal and political challenges that could determine whether he ever takes office.
