NEW YORK, United States (Somalia Today) — Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City on Tuesday, capping a stunning ascent for the 34-year-old progressive state lawmaker.
The victory by Zohran Mamdani for NYC mayor—defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa—makes him the city’s most liberal leader in generations.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, will become the city’s first Muslim mayor. He is also the first of South Asian heritage and the first born in Africa (Uganda). He will become the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office on January 1.
The contest drove the biggest turnout for a mayoral race in more than 50 years. Over 2 million New Yorkers cast ballots, according to the city’s Board of Elections.
At his victory party in Brooklyn, Mamdani supporters cheered and embraced as The Associated Press called the race. His X account posted a video of a subway train at the City Hall station with an announcement: “The next and last stop is City Hall.”
Cuomo comeback fails
Mamdani’s victory thwarts Andrew Cuomo’s attempted political comeback. The former governor resigned in 2021 following allegations of sexual harassment, which he continues to deny.
Cuomo, who lost to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, relaunched his campaign as an independent candidate. He focused heavily on Mamdani’s thin résumé and his own deep government experience. However, the former governor was dogged by his past, and critics slammed his negative campaign tactics.
In the race’s final stretch, Cuomo claimed Mamdani’s election would make Jews feel unsafe. The attack referenced Mamdani’s vehement criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Mamdani, a longtime advocate for Palestinian rights, has accused Israel of committing genocide and said he would honor an International Criminal Court warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mamdani began the race as a relatively obscure state lawmaker. His grassroots campaign, centered on affordability, gained traction with charismatic appearances and populist economics, ultimately trouncing Cuomo in the primary by 13 points.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels crime patrol, conceded the race shortly after polls closed. “We have a mayor-elect. Obviously, I wish him good luck because if he does well, we do well,” Sliwa told supporters.
A historic political shift
Mamdani’s win represents a significant victory for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing. The 34-year-old (born in Uganda, US citizen in 2018) is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
He defeated Andrew Cuomo, a three-term governor who resigned in 2021 amid a scandal. The race saw the highest turnout since 1969, according to the Board of Elections.
Mamdani was criticized during the campaign for his thin résumé. He must now begin staffing his administration before taking office. He also needs to plan how to accomplish the ambitious, polarizing agenda that drove his victory.
His campaign promises include free child care, free city bus service, and city-run grocery stores. He also pledged a new Department of Community Safety, which would dispatch mental health workers to some emergencies instead of police.
It remains unclear how Mamdani will fund these initiatives. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has steadfastly opposed his calls to raise taxes on wealthy people.
Mamdani’s decisions regarding the New York Police Department (NYPD) will also be closely watched.
In 2020, he referred to the department as a “rogue agency” and advocated for its defunding. He has since apologized for those comments and stated he will ask the current NYPD commissioner to remain on the job.
The NYC mayor race victory has already drawn sharp scrutiny from national Republicans.
President Donald Trump, who threatened to “take over the city” if Mamdani won, cast the mayor-elect as a radical threat. Trump also threatened to arrest and deport Mamdani, who was born in Uganda but raised in New York and became a US citizen in 2018.
Mamdani’s unlikely rise lends credence to Democrats urging the party to embrace more progressive, left-wing candidates over centrists to win back voters.
