Mamdani is mayor of New York, and his big promises are only partly kept so far
Hook
He promised a rent freeze, free buses, free childcare and city grocery stores. By late August: one voted through, three still ahead.
Claim
Zohran Mamdani won the 4 November 2025 mayoral election with 50.4% against Cuomo 41.6% and Sliwa 7.1% (NBC’s unofficial results) and was sworn in just after midnight on 1 January 2026 (NPR via HPPR). The latest scorecard found is dated 26 August 2026 (The CrossCheck, a single outlet whose standing was not independently checked). Promises versus results as of that date:
| Promise | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Rent freeze, stabilised flats | Voted | Rent Guidelines Board voted 7-1 on 25 June 2026: 0% for 1 and 2 year leases from 1 Oct 2026 to 30 Sep 2027, about 1 million homes. First freeze ever on 2 year leases. Mamdani appointed most of the board (six of nine per NY1; amNY says five). Landlord association REBNY objected. |
| Free buses | Not done | Estimated cost about $700 million a year (city) to about $1 billion (MTA). The MTA is a state body. In April he said the full plan will not happen in 2026, leaving open a pilot as a first step. |
| Free childcare, 6 weeks to 5 years | Pilot only | About 2,000 “2-K” seats in four communities for fall 2026; target 12,000 seats by fall 2027; about 3 applicants per seat. |
| City-owned groceries | Planning | La Marqueta (East Harlem) named first site, 30% discount on a core basket announced, $70 million in capital funds; no store open; first projected end of 2027. |
| Tax on millionaires | Did not pass | Governor Hochul opposed it. |
| Pied-a-terre tax | Passed | About $500 million a year, in the state budget. |
Separate from promises: murders fell 21% in the first half of 2026 (128 vs 162), but the decline began before his term; The CrossCheck does not credit him. It rates his overall record “Mixed”.
What cannot be shown: whether the rent freeze improves housing, because outcome data are not yet in.
Story
The rent freeze came through the Rent Guidelines Board, which is meant to be independent but whose members he mostly appointed. Appointing board members is a normal, legal use of the office, but it is not the same as winning a vote.
Sources
- The CrossCheck, 26 Aug 2026: https://thecrosscheck.org/factcheck/2026-08-26-mamdani-eight-months/
- amNY on the vote: https://www.amny.com/housing/rent-guidelines-board-approves-rent-freeze-06262026/
- NY1: https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2026/06/25/nyc-rent-guidelines-board-final-vote
- NPR via HPPR, swearing in: https://www.hppr.org/npr-news/2025-12-31/zohran-mamdani-sworn-in-as-new-york-city-mayor-capping-historic-rise
- Election result, ABC News via 6abc: https://6abc.com/post/zohran-mamdani-wins-nyc-mayors-race-abc-news-projects/18114376/
- KMPH on the free buses statement, 8 Apr 2026: https://kmph.com/news/nation-world/new-york-city-mayor-mamdani-says-his-plan-for-free-buses-wont-happen-in-2026-2028-president-socialist
Check before posting
- Current status of childcare, buses and groceries; the scorecard is over two months old. No coverage after August was found, so confirm he still holds office.
- Certified vote shares from the NYC Board of Elections (the shares above are NBC’s unofficial results).
Counterargument
Most of the big items need Albany or the MTA, so measuring a mayor against promises that depend on a governor tests the structure of government as much as the mayor.
Post angles
Facebook (Croatian) Zohran Mamdani je gradonačelnik New Yorka od 1. siječnja 2026. Obećao je zamrzavanje najma, besplatne autobuse, besplatne vrtiće i gradske trgovine. Zamrzavanje najma za oko milijun stanova izglasano je u lipnju. Autobusi još nisu besplatni, vrtići su za sada pilot s oko 2000 mjesta, a prva gradska trgovina očekuje se krajem 2027. Mnogo toga ovisi o državi, a ne o gradonačelniku. Obećanje je lako dati, teže je naći tko smije platiti.
LinkedIn (English) Mamdani, promise by promise, as of late August: the rent freeze is voted (the Rent Guidelines Board went 7-1 in June for 0% on about a million stabilised homes). Fare-free buses are not done (the MTA is a state body). Universal childcare is a pilot of about 2,000 seats. City grocery stores are in planning, with a first target of end of 2027. Campaign promises meet the real map of who controls the budget.
Links
Mamdani’s campaign used short videos that carried policy, with door knocking behind them