Zohran Mamdani shakes hands with a worker at a pizza place while campaigning for mayor. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In 2014, Mamdani did a four-month stint as an organizer for the left-wing advocacy group MoveOn in Seattle. He subsequently spent two months organizing with another group out of Houston called TexPIRG, while working an ongoing tutoring gig as well.
In 2015, Mamdani began his post-grad foray into political campaign work, but it is unclear if these were paid jobs or simply volunteer opportunities. He first knocked on doors for City Council candidate Ali Najmi and also did campaign field work for Khader El-Yateem's City Council campaign. Mamdani reportedly spent some time as a field organizer for Tiffany Caban's District Attorney campaign around 2019 as well.
While committing time to these campaigns, Mamdani also reportedly worked as a music supervisor and "third assistant director" on a Disney film about an Indian chess prodigy that was directed by his mother, Mira Nair, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker. He was also given an on-screen cameo role in the film.
"I actually created a playlist for Mira, who also happens to be my mother—you know, nepotism and hard work goes a long way," Mamdani quipped during a radio interview in 2016, around the time of the movie's release.
REPUBLICANS USE MAMDANI BOMBSHELL VICTORY OVER CUOMO AS AMMUNITION TO BLAST DEMOCRATS AS EXTREMISTS
Mamdani sits in a green room in this June 12, 2025, photo. (Vincent ALBAN / POOL / AFP)
He reportedly missed 50% of the assembly's votes in 2025 while focusing on his mayoral campaign, according to the New York Post. Meanwhile, during his entire three years in the New York State Assembly, Mamdani reportedly only ushered in three bills that eventually got passed into law, according to the New York Times.
While Mamdani's public service experience may be lacking, according to critics, he has been praised for his ability to market himself digitally across social media and other online platforms, with the New York Times dubbing him "a TikTok savant" during a profile piece they did on him in March.
During a debate earlier this month among all the Democratic Party candidates running to be New York City's next mayor, the candidates were asked if they had any regrets during their time working in politics.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"I regret not running for mayor in 2021," State Sen. Jessica Ramos responded. "I thought I needed more experience. But turns out you just need to make good videos."
If Mamdani wins the general election, he would be the city's youngest leader since 1917 at 34-years-of-age.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign repeatedly for comment on this story but never received a response.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox
Subscribed
You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rapping-acting-cameo-among-fringe-activities-lining-mamdanis-thin-work-resume