Campaigning on value of residing points, Mamdani beat out ex-governor Andrew Cuomo and his $25m tremendous PAC.
Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state lawmaker, has declared victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral main after beating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a landslide win throughout the first spherical of voting.
“Within the phrases of Nelson Mandela: it all the time appears unimaginable till it’s completed. My buddies, it’s completed. And you’re the ones who did it. I’m honoured to be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York Metropolis,” Mamdani tweeted early on Wednesday morning.
Preliminary outcomes present Mamdani secured 43.5 p.c of votes to Cuomo’s 36.4 p.c, with main wins throughout the New York boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, and far of Manhattan, whereas Cuomo took the Bronx and Staten Island.
Mamdani was relatively unknown earlier than the first election however gained traction as a self-described “democratic socialist” throughout a time of upheaval in nationwide politics following the inauguration of United States President Donald Trump.
His story echoes that of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – one other democratic socialist who rocketed to political fame within the US in 2018 with a shock win in New York congressional elections, however the main election is just not over but.
Within the phrases of Nelson Mandela: it all the time appears unimaginable till it’s completed.
My buddies, it’s completed. And you’re the ones who did it.
I’m honored to be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York Metropolis. pic.twitter.com/AgW0Z30xw1
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) June 25, 2025
New York’s main voting process lets voters rank their 5 prime candidates, so voters’ non-first-choice picks nonetheless have to be counted within the coming days.
Consultants say it’s doubtless that Mamdani will surpass the 50 p.c threshold resulting from strategic alliances with different candidates to help one another as a “second place” candidate, in accordance with The Related Press information company.
New York Metropolis can be a Democratic stronghold, which implies Mamdani has a excessive probability of changing into its first mayor of Asian heritage and first Muslim mayor if he can beat the incumbent, Eric Adams, who’s operating as an unbiased, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani was born in Uganda to oldsters of Indian heritage and moved to the US as a younger baby. His mom is the award-winning movie director Mira Nair, and his Ugandan-born father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a professor at Columbia College.
Mamdani’s public help for the Palestinian trigger drew accusations of anti-Semitism from some New Yorkers throughout his marketing campaign, however he gained the help of progressive and youthful voters who’re vital of US help for Israel’s struggle on Gaza.
I’ll all the time be clear in my language and primarily based in info: Israel is committing a genocide. pic.twitter.com/KFt223ZVjA
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) October 31, 2024
‘The accountability to uphold worldwide legislation’
New York has the most important Jewish inhabitants exterior of Israel, but in addition a sizeable Muslim group, which implies the Israel-Palestine battle has specific resonance with voters, even throughout a municipal election.
Within the days main as much as the election, Mamdani addressed a few of these points immediately in an interview on The Late Present with Stephen Colbert.
Following questions from Colbert, a widely known American comic, Mamdani mentioned he agreed with Israel’s proper to exist, however mentioned it additionally had “the accountability to uphold worldwide legislation”.
He additionally acknowledged the uptick in anti-Semitic violence throughout the US and proposed to create a Division of Neighborhood Security in New York and lift funding for anti-hate crime programming by 800 p.c.
Mamdani’s marketing campaign additionally centered on cost-of-living points confronted by New Yorkers, calling for hire freezes, free buses, and city-owned grocery shops.
Cuomo, 67, was initially seen because the institution candidate, however controversies surrounding his campaign gave Mamdani an additional enhance.
Cuomo was pressured to step down as governor of New York in 2021 over allegations of sexual misconduct, and his run for mayor was seen as an try to remake his picture.
The ex-governor, nevertheless, was unable to shake off his previous scandals regardless of securing a $25m tremendous PAC, or unbiased expenditure-only political motion committee, and the help of a few of New York’s wealthiest, like billionaire and ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in accordance with The New York Instances.