I Promised Things That Are Simply Impossible” Mamdani

That’s how Mamdani described his campaign platform—not for state assembly or mayor, but for vice president of the student council at the Bronx High School of Science. He told the story in two separate interviews with his high-school friend Daniel Kisslinger, years before Mamdani entered formal politics. In both interviews, Mamdani laughed about the promises he made: fresh juice every morning from locally sourced fruits, abolishing the school’s mandatory gym requirement, and a total overhaul of detention policies.

Mamdani lost that election—“Moon Jeong whooped my ass,” he admitted—but the story stuck. It painted a picture of a candidate with big ideas and a habit of making promises he couldn’t keep. – The Free Press