Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state politician and self-identified democratic socialist, appears set to win New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary election in a surprising upset against former New York governor Andrew Cuomo.
In brief comments to supporters, Mr. Cuomo, 67, who was attempting a political comeback four years after resigning due to sexual harassment charges, stated he had called Mr. Mamdani to congratulate him.
“Tonight is his night,” Mr. Cuomo declared while conceding the race to Mr. Mamdani.
Mr. Mamdani, who entered the campaign as a relative unknown, was leading Mr. Cuomo 43.5% to 36.4% with nearly 95% of ballot scanners reporting, according to the city’s elections board.
A worker removes an Andrew Cuomo banner after he conceded the race to Zohran Mamdani.
The outcome will remain provisional until next week, owing to New York’s ranked-choice voting system, which allows citizens to select up to five candidates in order of preference.
However, Mr. Mamdani’s lead in the preliminary results seemed insurmountable for Mr. Cuomo or any other competitor, especially since third-place candidate, city comptroller Brad Lander, urged his supporters to list Mr. Mamdani second.
This race was viewed as an early indication of the direction Democrats believe the party should take five months into Republican President Donald Trump’s second term.
The contrasts were evident: Mr. Cuomo, a moderate supported by the establishment who served a decade as governor, versus Mr. Mamdani, a progressive newcomer promising a departure from the past.
Zohran Mamdani is seen with his wife and parents after learning of Andrew Cuomo’s concession.
Mr. Mamdani is likely to be the favorite in November’s general election in a city dominated by Democrats.
The sitting mayor, Democrat Eric Adams, will also appear on the November ballot as an independent; however, a series of corruption scandals and his perceived connections to Mr. Trump have diminished his standing.
The Republican candidate is Curtis Sliwa, a radio host best known as the founder of the Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol, who lost to Mr. Adams in 2021.
For some voters, Mr. Mamdani signified an opportunity to usher in a new era for the party.
“I think it’s time for someone young, a person of color, something different,” said Ignacio Tambunting, a 28-year-old actor, to Reuters outside a polling station.
Former governor Andrew Cuomo speaking at the Carpenter’s Union in New York after the election.
Another voter, Leah Johanson, expressed that she voted for Mr. Mamdani first, despite concerns over his liberal views. However, she did not rank Mr. Cuomo.
“No. God, no,” said Ms. Johanson, 39, who voted in Queens, where Mr. Mamdani resides.
“I’m not going to vote for a man who is credibly accused of molesting women.”
Mr. Cuomo has denied the harassment accusations, characterizing them as misguided attempts at being affectionate or humorous.
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Self-described democratic socialist.
Born in Uganda to a family of Indian descent, Mr. Mamdani, who would be the city’s first Muslim mayor, has a background in pro-Palestinian activism.
He was elected to a state assembly seat in New York’s Queens borough and has gained support from US Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both notable progressives.
Mr. Cuomo accused Mr. Mamdani of lacking the necessary experience, while Mr. Mamdani criticized Mr. Cuomo over the harassment allegations.
Zohran Mamdani’s supporters celebrate after it became apparent he was on track to win the primary.
Mr. Cuomo, who was a vocal critic of Mr. Trump during his first term, received endorsements from former US president Bill Clinton and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.
In ranked voting, the last-place candidate is eliminated after each round, and their votes are distributed to the second choice marked on the ballots of their supporters.
This process continues until one candidate secures 50% of the total votes.
Mr. Mamdani is expected to increase his lead when additional counts are conducted, especially since he and Mr. Lander endorsed one another and urged their supporters to rank the other as a second choice.
Mr. Lander, who was the first choice on 11.6% of ballots counted yesterday, made headlines in the US last week when he was briefly detained while escorting a defendant out of an immigration court.
