Amadeo Fusca, center, winner of the Mayor Zohran Mamdani look-alike contest, takes selfies with the crowd, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

2026-08-30T21:00:58Z

NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of people gathered near New York City’s popular Washington Square Park Sunday to judge a Mayor Zohran Mamdani look-alike contest.

The winner, Amadeo Fusca, was the crowd favorite, wearing a jersey for the NBA champion New York Knicks underneath a suit. Fusca also had a haircut and facial hair similar to Mamdani, taking home a $100 prize.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist who took office in January, has amassed a large following on social media and among younger residents. The event was sponsored by the social media app, Sonder.

Mamdani’s agenda as mayor is centered on refocusing the power of government toward helping the city’s struggling working class.

Nine participants, many with facial hair similar to Mamdani’s, came dressed in myriad Mamdani style, including the brown suit Mamdani wore while campaigning in 2025, red and black patterned ties, dress shoes, dark blue and black suits, and silver rings. One of the participants showed up shirtless but wearing an apron — a reference to a rap music video Mamdani made in 2019.

The men were asked one question in the competition — name their favorite pizza — and the winner was decided by who got the most applause.

Attendees initially gathered in the park, but police told them they had to leave because they hadn’t obtained a permit. So they moved just outside the park for the competition.

It wasn’t the first time Mamdani look-alikes gathered. A similar contest was held in Brooklyn in 2025 when Mamdani was campaigning for mayor.

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Wilder reported from Austin, Texas, and is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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