Zohran Mamdani, 34, is expected to be the winner of New York’s mayoral race in a race that has rallied young voters and sparked debate about the future direction of the Democratic Party.
Mamdani, a Ugandan-born Democrat, defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, to become the youngest person to lead America’s largest city in 100 years.
A self-described democratic socialist, he made affordability a key message of his campaign, pledging to expand social programs paid for by new taxes on high earners and corporations.
Mamdani was a relatively unknown New York state representative until his campaign gained momentum online a few months ago, enabling him to win the Democratic primary last summer.
According to projections from BBC news partner CBS, Mamdani received 50.3% of the vote, while Cuomo received 41.6%. Republican Curtis Sliwa had just over 7%. Sliwa conceded shortly after the winner was predicted.
“We have a mayor-elect,” Sliwa told supporters. “Obviously, I wish him the best of luck, because if he does well, we do well.”
“We have been with them every day. We will not surrender, we will not retreat, we will not leave this New York City.”
Cuomo has made no public statement.
Mamdani’s campaign has attracted significant national attention, including from U.S. President Donald Trump. On the eve of the vote, he threatened to withhold federal funds from New York if Mamdani, whom he called a communist, won.
This is a historic moment for Mamdani as she becomes the first South Asian and Muslim to lead the city.
But there are questions about how he will pay for his ambitious social agenda, and critics have questioned how a politician with no administrative experience will deal with a hostile Trump administration.
On Tuesday night, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized the “consequences” of New York City’s choice for X. “Zoran Mamdani’s election solidifies the Democratic Party’s transformation into a radical, big-government, socialist party,” he wrote.
The president also posted on social media Tuesday night blaming the shutdown and himself for not appearing on the ballot for the Republican’s loss.
Centrist Democrats won the gubernatorial election Tuesday night. U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger and U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill won their primaries in Virginia and New Jersey, respectively.
Mamdani’s victory also presents a dilemma for the Democratic establishment, which has been reluctant to support him. Nonetheless, he was favored to win the New York City election, leading Cuomo and Sliwa by double digits in the polls in the weeks leading up to Election Day.
A relatively unknown figure just a few months ago, few could have predicted that he would grow from a hip-hop artist and housing counselor to a frontrunner to lead the city with a $116 billion (£88 billion) budget and global research.
The former New York state representative focused on affordability in one of the most expensive cities in the country, campaigning on issues such as universal child care and free and rapid buses.
His candidacy drew criticism from business leaders and centrist Democrats, some of whom did not support him, including fellow New Yorker and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Republicans seized his expected victory to shape the future of the Democratic Party, a socialist party. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Mamdani and threatened to cut federal funding from the city if he wins.
Nonetheless, Mamdani won even after New York City Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race due to multiple scandals, which was expected to strengthen Cuomo’s candidacy.
