Zohran Mamdani will be the next mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim and person of South Asian descent — as well as the youngest in over a century — to hold the position.
The 34-year-old, Ugandan-born democratic socialist defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an Independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in Tuesday's election, according to a race call by the Associated Press.
It's a remarkable ascent for Mamdani, who was a relatively unknown state assemblymember representing Queens when he entered the crowded mayoral race last year. He went on to win June's Democratic primary by 12 percentage points, quickly becoming one of the country's most popular and polarizing politicians along the way.
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Some of Mamdani's main campaign promises include making the city's buses fare-free, freezing stabilized rents, providing universal child care, increasing the minimum wage by 2030 and lowering the cost of living by raising taxes on big corporations and the wealthiest 1% of New Yorkers.
Mamdani has also said he would stand up to President Trump, who has frequently criticized — and mischaracterized — Mamdani as a communist and repeatedly threatened to slash New York City's federal funding if he wins.
Critics have pointed to Mamdani's relative inexperience and the political challenges he would face in delivering on his ambitious, highly progressive agenda. And, despite his repeated disavowal of antisemitism, his vocal and long-held criticisms of Israel's government and actions in Gaza have alienated some voters in a city that's home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel.
But Mamdani's vision of a more affordable city, articulated through savvy social media videos and upbeat in-person interactions, has clearly resonated with young and first-time voters (even outside of New York).
He won endorsements from scores of high-profile progressives, mobilized tens of thousands of campaign volunteers and held a double-digit lead in polls going into Election Day. Young voters, who were likely to have supported Mamdani, are credited with driving record early-voter turnout.
Less than an hour after polls closed on Tuesday, it was clear his efforts had paid off.
A recap of the race
New York City's mayoral race unfolded in a series of dramatic twists and turns, clashes and unlikely alliances. It energized voters and, in the end, more than two million votes were cast — the first time since 1969, according to the New York City Board of Elections.
Current Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, initially ran for a second term, despite a scandal-ridden first term and all-time low approval ratings. After the Trump administration formally dismissed the corruption case against him, he announced his reelection bid in June, this time as an independent.
That allowed Adams to bypass the Democratic primary, in which Mamdani triumphed over Cuomo. Mamdani's win was seen as an upset to the establishment, since the 67-year-old Cuomo is the son of a three-time New York governor and held the position himself for a decade beginning in 2011.
In 2021, after numerous women accused him of sexual misconduct and questions swirled about his administration's management of nursing home residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuomo resigned as governor to avoid a likely impeachment trial, but denied all wrongdoing.
Angling for a comeback, Cuomo entered the mayoral race in March, saying the city was "in crisis" and in need of "effective leadership." His platform emphasized issues like public safety, affordable housing, healthcare and fighting antisemitism — with a more centrist stance compared to Mamdani.
Cuomo reentered the race as an independent after his primary loss, seeking to appeal to more moderate voters. He also got Adams' endorsement after the mayor dropped out in late September.
At that point, the race narrowed to three main contenders: Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa, a 71-year-old radio talk show host and founder of the subway patrol organization, the Guardian Angels, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
Sliwa, who ran against Adams in 2021, was determined to remain in this year's race despite third-place poll numbers and mounting calls to drop out, from his own party as well as Cuomo himself. Their concern was that Sliwa would take votes away from Cuomo, propelling Mamdani to victory.
The three faced off in two contentious debates in October, in which Mamdani and Cuomo sparred over issues of integrity and experience while Sliwa sought to paint them as two sides of the same ideological coin.
Tuesday's election marks a pivotal moment for liberal-leaning New York City and the Democratic establishment. Both have grappled with how to respond to the Trump administration, which has targeted blue cities nationwide (including the Big Apple) with funding cuts and National Guard troops.
The high stakes and voter enthusiasm of this election were evident well before Election Day: The city Board of Elections said 735,317 voters cast ballots during early voting, more than five times the number of early voters in 2021.
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