Zoran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York on Tuesday, capping a remarkable run for the 34-year-old state representative who is poised to become the city’s first Muslim mayor and its most liberal mayor in history.
In the progressive Democratic Party’s victory, Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani must now navigate the endless demands of America’s largest city and deliver on his ambitious (and skeptics say unrealistic) campaign promises.
“My friends, we have overthrown a political dynasty,” Manday told a cheering crowd in New York to thunderous applause.
“For as long as we can remember, New York workers have been told by the rich and the crony that power doesn’t belong to them, yet over the past 12 months you’ve dared to reach for something bigger. Tonight, against all odds, we grabbed it,” Mamdani said.
“The future is in our hands,” he told supporters in a 30-minute victory speech.
With this victory, the Democratic Socialist will make history as the city’s first Muslim mayor, first person of South Asian descent, and first African-born mayor. He will also become the city’s youngest mayor in more than 100 years when he takes office on January 1.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul told X that she looked forward to working with Mamdani to “make our city more affordable and livable,” and congratulated him on his victory in “one of the highest turnout elections in our city’s history.”
More than 2 million New Yorkers voted in the election, the highest turnout for a mayoral race in more than 50 years, according to the city’s Board of Elections.
New York City is US President Donald Trump’s hometown, but he remains deeply unpopular in the Democratic stronghold.
Some analysts say Mamdani’s frequent comments and social media posts warning that the nation’s largest city would fall apart if elected mayor may have narrowed the race, but Trump’s belated support for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, an independent who resigned following a scandal four years ago, may have backfired.
Mamdani’s victory shocks favorite Cuomo
Mamdani began his campaign as a relatively unknown state representative and is little known in New York City. He entered the Democratic primary in which Mr. Cuomo, with his near-universal name recognition and deep political ties, was presumed the favorite.
Mr. Cuomo’s chances further increased after incumbent Mayor Eric Adams withdrew from the primary race while dealing with the fallout from a now-dismissed federal corruption case.
But as the campaign progressed, Mamdani’s natural charm, catchy social media videos and populist economic platform energized voters in America’s largest city. Additionally, as his popularity grew, he began to attract attention from outsiders as well.
Democrats win Virginia and New Jersey
Tuesday’s voting saw voting take place in about half of the U.S. states, including two gubernatorial races, the first major races of President Trump’s second term. The gubernatorial race has played a crucial role in a year in which President Trump has deployed National Guard troops and immigration officials to cities and states, and competed with governors and mayors. Voters backed Democrats in the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, rejecting Mr. Trump’s belated and light push toward his preferred candidates.
In Virginia, where federal workers are concentrated due to the government shutdown and President Trump’s sweeping federal layoffs, voters reversed control of the governor’s mansion and elected Democrat Abigail Spanberger as the state’s first female leader.
The former congressman defeated Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earl Sears.
And in New Jersey, where President Trump endorsed Republican candidate Jack Ciatarelli and held several conference calls on his behalf, voters instead chose to keep Democrats in power and elected Rep. Mikie Sherrill.
Candidates and local issues all influenced the outcome, but voters’ attitudes toward Mr. Trump and his policies were central to the choice, providing the first clear assessment by voters just nine months after Mr. Trump returned to power.
The US president quickly responded to the results with a defensive post on social media on Tuesday night, as Democratic leaders celebrated the results as a major victory over Trump.
Citing pollsters, Trump said that “Mr. Trump didn’t vote,” and that the federal government shutdown “were two reasons why Republicans lost tonight’s election.”