Zohran Mamdani Wins New York City Mayoral Election, Defeating Cuomo

Zohran Mamdani has won the New York City mayoral election, completing an improbable run from little-known longshot to mayor-elect of America’s largest city.

The Associated Press called the race for Mamdani, who was a heavy favorite heading into Tuesday, a little after 9:30 p.m. local time.

“Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands. My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty,” said Mamdani in his victory speech from Brooklyn late Tuesday night. “I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life, but let tonight be the final time I utter his name, as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few. New York, tonight you have delivered. A mandate for change. ​​A mandate for a new kind of politics. A mandate for a city we can afford. And a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.”

“In this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light,” he continued. “We will leave mediocrity in our past. No longer will we have to open a history book for proof that Democrats can dare to be great. Our greatness will be anything but abstract,” said Mamdani. “It will be felt by each New Yorker when the city they love finally loves them back.”

Mamdani easily defeated Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary earlier this year, and then overcame an independent challenge by the former New York governor, as well as the millions spent by the wealthy to keep him out of office, and even threats by President Donald Trump to withhold federal funding from the city should he win. Mamdani is the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York City. He is only 34 years old, making him the youngest mayor of New York City in over 100 years.

A self-described Democratic Socialist, Mamdani ran on a platform of affordability and community-focused reforms in one of the most expensive cities in the nation, pushing his platform through easy-to-digest social videos. In a moment where the national Democratic Party remains rudderless — clocking in historically low approval ratings — the success of Mamdani’s grassroots, direct-to-voter campaign inspired heated discourse about the future of the party. He made appearances alongside fellow Democratic Socialists Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) at rallies and campaign events, but was largely rebuffed by the party establishment. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) took months to endorse him. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) never did.

Mamdani’s opponents relied heavily branding him a communist, a distinction he rejects, and Islamophobic smears in their attempts to tank his run. Days before early voting began, for example, Cuomo laughed when an interviewer said that his Muslim opponent would be “cheering” if “another 9/11” happened. Mamdami’s critics also highlighted his limited political experience — having only served as a state assembly member since 2020 — as a liability in executing on his populist promises of rent freezes for stabilized housing units, free city buses, and pilot programs for community grocery stores.

The embattled former governor, who was plagued by scandal over his handling of elderly patients and nursing home deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as a high-profile sexual misconduct investigation finding he harassed several women while in office, resigned in 2021. New Yorkers were, unsurprisingly, unwilling to hand him back any sort of control over their lives — and they told him so, both in June’s Democratic primary and again on Tuesday night.

Cuomo refused to take the hint from voters this summer, and ran a billionaire-backed campaign as an independent. His decision to remain in the race not only pitted him against the actual Democratic nominee, but fellow embattled politician, current New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Adams and Cuomo ultimately realized that they would likely end up splitting the electorate in favor of Mamdani, leading Adams to withdraw from the race in September (though he still appeared on the ballot). Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee, refused to bow out of the race despite pressure from Cuomo allies.

Trump endorsed Cuomo in the race on Monday, writing on Truth Social that “if Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the Election for Mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required, to my beloved first home.” The president added that “a vote for Curtis Sliwa is a vote for Mamdani. Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice.”

Mamdani’s election to lead one of the largest, most diverse cities in the nation is a clear signal to the national Democratic Party that their voters are still capable of mustering the enthusiasm necessary to take back control of Washington, D.C. In order to get it, however, the party needs to run candidates who speak to the needs and priorities that voters have clearly been delineating for multiple election cycles.

The winning formula is there, and the midterms are just around the corner.