Who's Running 2028
Updated June 28, 2026

Can Zohran Mamdani run for president in 2028?

No. Zohran Mamdani is constitutionally ineligible to run for president. Article II of the Constitution requires the president to be a natural-born citizen - someone who was a U.S. citizen at birth. Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda on October 18, 1991, and became a U.S. citizen through naturalization in 2018. A naturalized citizen, however accomplished, does not satisfy the natural-born requirement.

Article II: the natural-born-citizen requirement

Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution states: "No Person except a natural born Citizen... shall be eligible to the Office of President." A natural-born citizen is a person who was a U.S. citizen at birth - either by being born on U.S. soil or by being born abroad to a U.S.-citizen parent under the applicable rules.

Mamdani was born in Uganda as a foreign national. He immigrated to the United States as a child and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018 - a path that grants full citizenship rights except for eligibility to the presidency and vice presidency. Naturalization, no matter how long ago, does not satisfy the natural-born-citizen requirement.

The vice presidency is also barred

The 12th Amendment provides that no person "constitutionally ineligible to the office of President" shall be eligible to be vice president. Because Article II bars Mamdani from the presidency, the same constitutional logic bars him from the vice presidency as well.

This is the same two-part barrier that has historically barred other prominent naturalized citizens - such as former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm - from seeking the presidency or vice presidency.

What offices can a naturalized citizen hold?

The natural-born-citizen restriction applies only to the presidency and the vice presidency. Beyond those two offices, naturalized citizens are fully eligible to hold any other position in American public life: mayor, state governor, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Cabinet secretary, federal judge, and more.

This is an important distinction. The bar is narrow - it is not a general limit on naturalized citizens in politics. It applies only to the two offices that were specifically addressed in Article II and the 12th Amendment, and it has remained unchanged since 1788.

Quick answers

Mamdani and 2028: frequently asked questions

Can Zohran Mamdani run for president in 2028?
No. Article II of the Constitution requires the president to be a natural-born citizen - someone who was a U.S. citizen at birth. Zohran Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda in 1991 and became a U.S. citizen through naturalization in 2018. Because he was not a citizen at birth, he does not meet the natural-born-citizen requirement and is constitutionally ineligible to be elected president.
Why is Mamdani not eligible for president?
The eligibility bar is the natural-born-citizen requirement in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution. This means a person must have been a U.S. citizen at birth - either by being born on U.S. soil or by being born abroad to a U.S.-citizen parent under the rules in effect at the time. Mamdani was born in Uganda and became a citizen later through the naturalization process, so he does not qualify.
What does 'natural-born citizen' mean?
A natural-born citizen is a person who was a U.S. citizen at birth. That includes anyone born on U.S. soil (under the 14th Amendment) and anyone born abroad to a U.S.-citizen parent under the rules Congress has set. It does not include people who were born as foreign nationals and later went through the naturalization process to become citizens, regardless of how long they have lived in the United States or what offices they have held.
Can Mamdani run for vice president in 2028?
No. The 12th Amendment states that no person 'constitutionally ineligible to the office of President' shall be eligible to be vice president. Because Article II makes Mamdani ineligible for the presidency, he is also ineligible for the vice presidency under this clause.
What offices can a naturalized citizen hold?
Almost any other office in American government. Naturalized citizens can and do serve as mayors, state governors, members of the House and Senate, Cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court justices, and in many other positions. The natural-born-citizen requirement applies only to the presidency and the vice presidency - no other federal or state office carries this restriction.
Has Mamdani said he wants to run for president in 2028?
Mamdani has not and cannot legally run for president. He is a prominent progressive politician and his name has appeared in 2028 election searches, but on the constitutional question the answer is clear: he is not eligible to be president or vice president. The natural-born-citizen bar is absolute and has never been challenged successfully in any court.

Related eligibility questions: Can Trump run in 2028? (No - 22nd Amendment) - Can Obama run? (No - 22nd Amendment) - Can AOC run? (Yes - fully eligible) - Full eligibility guide

Stay ahead of the race

Get an alert when the 2028 field changes

No major candidate has declared yet. Drop your email and we will tell you the moment one does - or the front-runner shifts. No spam.

See who IS running in 2028

Get The 2028 Daily
One short email each morning - the noteworthy moves in the 2028 race from the last 24 hours. Free, unsubscribe anytime.