Mamdani Trades Beard for Movember Mustache

Zohran Mamdani’s familiar beard was gone by the morning of November 1, replaced by a thick mustache. A spokesperson for the New York City mayor said he made the change to take part in Movember, a campaign that raises awareness of men’s health issues.

The mayor had sported his beard at Halloween events in Queens on Friday, including an appearance with Gov. Kathy Hochul. On Sunday, he handed out water and high-fives to people running the New York City Marathon course, wearing a suit, baseball cap and yellow safety vest.

Mamdani later watched the Buffalo Bills game at a bar in Astoria with Hochul and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. By then, a hint of facial hair shadow had begun to show. His appearance prompted a range of online reactions, with some praising the mustache and others preferring his former look. Some commenters initially thought the person in the photos was a lookalike.

Movember starts on November 1. Participants commonly begin with a clean shave and grow or maintain a mustache through the month to draw attention to issues including prostate and testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. Mamdani has promoted the campaign on social media since at least 2013.

Mamdani had been the first New York City mayor with a beard since 1913. His mustache is expected to be part of the monthlong campaign.