Ugandan-born Mamdani defiant amid attacks in New York Mayoral race

As early voting gets underway in New York’s mayoral race, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani has vowed to further embrace his Muslim identity in the face of what he’s called “racist and baseless” attacks from his opponents.

Speaking outside a mosque on Friday, Mamdani said it’s a decision he avoided at the start of his campaign but said it was time to step out of the shadows.

"To be Muslim in New York is to expect indignity. But indignity does not make us distinct. There are many New Yorkers who face it. It is the tolerance of that indignity that does.”

Uganda-born Mamdani has faced backlash for his criticism of Israel and only received the endorsement of the Democrat’s House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the eve of the polls opening.

But Mamdani's spectacular win in the Democratic Party primary forced former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to run as an independent.

Cuomo and Mamdani’s other rival, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, have both stepped up their attacks on the democratic socialist as the election draws closer.

Cuomo joked that Mamdani would likely cheer another 9/11 attack on New York, while Sliwa falsely claimed he is a supporter of “global jihad.”

In the days leading up to the start of early voting, polls showed Mamdani leading Cuomo by double digits.