Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani was elected to become the next mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim and South Asian mayor, as well as the youngest mayor-elect in over a century. In this race, he won against former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
Pulling the highest turnout since 1960, the race was highly divided, with Mamdani securing roughly half of the vote and Cuomo trailing closely behind. Mamdani will succeed Mayor Eric Adams as the 111 mayor of New York City, taking office on Jan. 1, 2026.
Just a year ago, during the early stages of his campaign, low-profile state assemblyman Mamdani was polling at under 1 percent of the vote. As a lesser-known candidate, the Democratic Socialist focused his campaign on issues of affordability in the city. His plan includes proposals for freezing the rent on rent-stabilised apartments, making public buses free and lowering the cost of childcare.
His platform drew significant support from young voters, with 78 percent of voters under 30 casting their ballots for what would become the city’s first millennial mayor. Mamdani also maintained a presence on social media, both on his own page and on prominent accounts such as @nowthis and @subwaytakes.
Mamdani emerged as one of the most prominent yet polarizing politicians in the past year. Critics have frequently labeled him a communist and some of his positions, including criticism of Israel’s government, contributed to opposition among voters. Exit polling indicated that about 60 percent of Jewish voters supported Cuomo.
In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump commented on this, writing, “Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!” In another post, Trump said that he would contribute the bare minimum of Federal Funds if Mamdani were elected, writing that he believes that New York has “ZERO chance of success, or even survival” with Mamdani as mayor.
In his victory speech, Mamdani acknowledged everyday New Yorkers including taxi drivers, bodega owners and aunties. He also thanked the many volunteers that helped him secure this win, which had grown to over 100,000 by election night. Addressing the city directly, Mamdani said, “Time and again, you have answered my calls — but I have one final request. New York City, breathe this moment in. We have held our breath for longer than we know.”
Amid ongoing ICE raids in New York, Mamdani highlighted his own immigrant background, as he is from Uganda. He said, “New York will remain a city of immigrants: a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant.”
