When Zohran Mamdani marked his first 100 days as New York City mayor in April, he walked six miles home from City Hall to Gracie Mansion. Video of the trip spread online, giving New Yorkers a glimpse of a mayor comfortable being seen on the streets he governs. Nearly six months later, his early record is getting a fresh look as his administration announces a major win for delivery workers.
Last week, the city reached a $131.5 million settlement with DoorDash over violations of its delivery worker pay laws. More than $115 million is set to go to over 260,000 workers. City Hall calls it the largest worker settlement in New York City history and the largest involving food delivery workers in the country.
Mamdani’s first 100 days set the pace for that focus on daily costs. His administration secured a $1.2 billion childcare investment with the state, including plans for full-day, full-year care for two-year-olds beginning this fall. It reported more than $9 million recovered for workers and small businesses, $34 million in repairs and other relief for tenants, and its 100,000th pothole filled. City-run grocery stores remain a developing promise, with La Marqueta in East Harlem identified as the first site. The rent freeze he sought was approved by the independent Rent Guidelines Board in June, after his 100-day mark.
The attention has reached well beyond City Hall. In a September Quinnipiac poll of likely voters across New York State, 46 percent viewed Mamdani favorably, including 60 percent in the city. Republican operative Chapin Fay told Politico he is “one of the most popular politicians on planet earth right now.” President Donald Trump, meeting him at Gracie Mansion last week, said the mayor has “great potential.”
The walk made for memorable video. The question for Mamdani is how much of that public goodwill he can carry into the longer work of making New York more affordable.
