New York — Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state legislator and self-described democratic socialist, has won New York’s Democratic mayoral primary in a surprising upset over former New York governor Andrew Cuomo.
In brief remarks to supporters, Cuomo, 67, who had been seeking a political comeback four years after resigning amid sexual harassment allegations, said he had called Mamdani to congratulate him.
Mamdani, who entered the campaign as a virtual unknown, was ahead of Cuomo 43.5% to 36.4% with nearly 95% of ballot scanners reporting, according to the city’s elections board.
Nine other Democratic candidates trailed far behind. Mamdani declared victory addressing his supporters.
“Today... with the vision of the city that every New Yorker can afford, we have won,” he said in a speech broadcasted by ABC7 New York TV channel.
He promised to reject President Donald Trump's policies and “to govern our city as a model for the Democratic Party”.
The outcome will not be final until next week, due to New York’s ranked-choice system that allows citizens to pick up to five candidates in order of preference. The third-place finisher on Tuesday, City Comptroller Brad Lander, had encouraged his supporters to list Mamdani second.
The race was seen as an early read on the direction Democrats believe the party should take five months into Republican President Donald Trump’s tumultuous second term.
Their differences were clear: Cuomo, a moderate backed by the establishment who served a decade as governor, or Mamdani, a progressive newcomer who promised a break with the past.
November election
Mamdani is likely to be the favourite in November’s general election in a city where Democrats dominate. The current mayor, Democrat Eric Adams, will also appear on the November ballot as an independent, but a series of corruption scandals and his perceived ties to Trump have weakened his standing.
The Republican candidate is Curtis Sliwa, a radio host best known as the founder of the Guardian Angels anticrime patrol who lost to Adams in 2021.
For some voters, Mamdani represented a chance to usher in a new era for the party.
Born in Uganda to a family of Indian descent, Mamdani, who would be the city’s first Muslim mayor, has a history of pro-Palestinian activism.
He was elected to a state assembly seat in New York’s Queens borough and has garnered the support of US senator Bernie Sanders and representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, two prominent progressives.
Cuomo accused Mamdani of lacking the experience required, while Mamdani attacked Cuomo over the harassment allegations.
Cuomo, who emerged as a vocal critic of Trump during his first term as president, won the endorsements of former president Bill Clinton and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Reuters
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