By Dmitryshein
New york: In a stunning political upset, 33-year-old state legislator and self-proclaimed democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani appeared on Tuesday to have defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary.
Cuomo, 67, who had been attempting a political comeback four years after stepping down amid multiple sexual harassment allegations, conceded defeat and told supporters he had called Mamdani to offer his congratulations.
“Tonight is his night,” Cuomo told a subdued crowd as he acknowledged Mamdani’s lead in the vote count. With nearly 95% of ballot scanners reporting, Mamdani held a significant lead—43.5% to Cuomo’s 36.4%—according to preliminary results released by the city’s Board of Elections. The nine other Democratic contenders in the race were far behind.
Although the final result will not be certified until next week due to the city’s ranked-choice voting system, Mamdani’s lead appears insurmountable. Under the ranked-choice system, voters can rank up to five candidates in order of preference. But Mamdani’s advantage is expected to grow further, thanks to support from third-place finisher City Comptroller Brad Lander, who urged his backers to rank Mamdani second.
The race is widely viewed as a bellwether for the Democratic Party’s direction amid the turbulence of Republican President Donald Trump’s second term in office. Voters faced a clear ideological choice: the establishment-backed moderate Cuomo, who led New York for a decade, or Mamdani, a progressive newcomer offering a dramatic break from political convention.
Mamdani now emerges as the likely favourite in the November general election, particularly in a city with an overwhelming Democratic majority. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, also a Democrat, is running as an independent following a string of corruption allegations and criticisms over his alignment with Trump-era policies—developments that have severely weakened his re-election prospects.
The Republican contender, Curtis Sliwa—a radio personality best known for founding the anti-crime Guardian Angels group—previously lost to Adams in the 2021 mayoral race and is expected to face an uphill battle.
For many New Yorkers, Mamdani symbolises a fresh vision for city leadership. Ignacio Tambunting, a 28-year-old actor, expressed enthusiasm after ranking Mamdani first on his ballot outside a Manhattan polling place. “I think it’s time for somebody young, a person of colour, something different,” he said.
Another voter, 39-year-old Leah Johanson from Queens, where Mamdani resides, also placed him at the top of her ballot—despite reservations about his progressive stance. “No. God, no,” she said when asked if she had ranked Cuomo at all. “I’m not gonna vote for a man who is credibly accused of molesting women.”
Cuomo has consistently denied the harassment allegations, characterising his behaviour as misunderstood attempts to be humorous or affectionate.
Mamdani, born in Uganda to a family of Indian descent, would become New York City’s first Muslim mayor if elected. He has a strong background in pro-Palestinian advocacy and currently holds a seat in the New York State Assembly representing a district in Queens. He also boasts endorsements from leading progressives, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Throughout the campaign, Cuomo criticised Mamdani for what he saw as a lack of experience, while Mamdani countered by highlighting the former governor’s controversial past, particularly the harassment claims.
Despite Cuomo’s previous popularity and endorsements from establishment figures such as former President Bill Clinton and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, he failed to generate sufficient support among the city’s increasingly progressive electorate.
The ranked-choice voting system played a pivotal role in the race. Under the rules, candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated in successive rounds, and their supporters’ second-choice votes are redistributed until one candidate surpasses 50% of the total. Mamdani is expected to benefit from this process, especially following his and Lander’s strategic move to cross-endorse and encourage supporters to rank each other.
Lander, who secured 11.6% of the first-choice votes, gained national media attention last week after being briefly detained while assisting a defendant leaving immigration court. His endorsement of Mamdani may prove decisive in solidifying the progressive coalition.
As New York awaits final results from the ranked-choice process, Mamdani’s path to the mayoralty seems increasingly secure, marking a generational and ideological shift in the city’s political leadership.
