New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, may have prepared for his current role with SimCity 3000 as a kid

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The United States held elections this Tuesday, and while it wasn’t a presidential election, the results were still significant. Across the country, various local issues were on the ballot, but the New York City mayoral race garnered particular attention. On Tuesday night, Zohran Mamdani was declared the winner, marking his second victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo. While some might be surprised by the outcome, Mamdani’s history of video game preferences might offer some insight.

Apparently, newly elected Mayor of NYC, Zohran Mamdani, was interested in SimCity growing up

Earlier this year, Screen Rant highlighted a social media post about a 2002 New York Magazine article. The article featured interviews with children in New York City, including a young Jabari Mamdani. When asked what he wanted for the winter holidays, 11-year-old Mamdani reportedly wished for books, the video game FIFA 2003, and the computer game SimCity 3000. While a typical request for a child in the early 2000s, it’s interesting to note his early interest in running a virtual city, considering he is now the mayor of one of the world’s largest cities.

It’s important to remember that comparing this to SimCity 3000 isn’t a perfect match. SimCity 3000 is a game, and while it tries to represent a real city, it simplifies things. Players have a lot more control and face fewer real-world consequences than actual city managers. The game was quite popular – millions played it in the U.S. – and it’s likely only a small number of those players ended up working in city planning or management. Still, it’s noteworthy that Mamdani specifically mentioned it.

SimCity 3000 came out in 1999, and when Mamdani requested it around 2002, he might have been referring to the Unlimited Edition, which was released in 2000. It’s surprising now, with so many new games constantly being released, that a game could once hold a child’s attention for at least two years.

I’ve been thinking, could games like SimCity have actually shaped how a whole generation of us think? It’s hard to say for sure – we don’t even know if this one guy, Mamdani, actually played SimCity 3000 way back when. But the fact we’re even talking about it makes me think these games might be more than just fun. City builders, like SimCity or the newer Cities: Skylines, really make you think about how a city works. You’re constantly making decisions about things like roads, schools, and power. It’s not going to magically turn everyone into a perfect city planner, but it’s definitely not just mindless button-mashing. I think these games can actually teach you a thing or two.

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2025-11-07 02:02