 "How Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani stunned Andrew Cuomo in NYC mayor primary")
Zohran Mamdani, 33-year-old state Assembly member is on track to become the Democratic nominee for New York City’s mayor, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a primary that drew national attention in the United States.
A first-generation immigrant and democratic socialist, Mamdani’s strong lead in the preliminary results stunned political observers and disrupted what many saw as Cuomo’s path to redemption after resigning in 2021 amid multiple sexual harassment allegations.
With nearly all vote scanners reporting and final tabulations pending under the city’s ranked-choice voting system, Mamdani led Cuomo 43.5 per cent to 36.4 per cent, a margin that prompted the former governor to concede. “Tonight is his night,” Cuomo said, acknowledging Mamdani’s performance and calling to offer congratulations.
The rise of Zohran Mamdani
Mamdani’s path to the top of the ballot began as a long shot. Born in Uganda to Indian parents, raised in South Africa, and educated in New York, Mamdani has lived a life as global as it is local.
He attended the Bronx High School of Science and later Bowdoin College, eventually becoming a prominent political figure in Queens, one of the nation’s most diverse areas.
Elected to the New York State Assembly in 2021, Mamdani built a reputation for community activism, notably joining New York City taxi drivers in a 15-day hunger strike in 2021 advocating debt relief.
His campaign for mayor was anchored in ambitious proposals that included rent freezes for approximately one million tenants in stabilised housing, free bus transportation citywide, universal childcare and municipally backed grocery programmes.
To finance these initiatives, he proposed higher taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers — although such taxation authority rests with the state legislature and governor.
Governor Kathy Hochul has already rejected that idea, saying such tax policies could prompt high earners to leave the state.
Still, Mamdani’s vision resonated with many voters. His digital strategy featured slick, multilingual campaign videos, including an explainer on ranked-choice voting delivered in Hindi and Urdu.
His messaging included calls for wealth redistribution, support for Palestinian human rights, and criticism of military escalation — positions that attracted both praise and pushback.
He received endorsements from high-profile progressives like US Senator Bernie Sanders and US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Congratulations to Zohran Mamdani and his thousands of grassroots supporters for their extraordinary campaign. You took on the political, economic and media Establishment- and you beat them. Now it’s on to victory in the general election.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 25, 2025
“This race is not just symbolic about the future of New York City, this race is symbolic about the future of our country,” said Ocasio-Cortez during a rally last week attended by over 2,000 people.
The United Auto Workers union also backed Mamdani, reflecting his appeal among working-class and union voters.
How Cuomo’s attempted comeback failed
For Andrew Cuomo, the race was an attempt at political rehabilitation. Once a powerful figure in Democratic politics, Cuomo stepped down as governor four years ago after a state attorney general’s report concluded he had sexually harassed at least 11 women.
Cuomo has consistently denied these allegations, stating they were mischaracterisations of his behaviour. “I didn’t intentionally harass anyone,” he has maintained, describing his actions as out-of-step with evolving workplace standards.
Despite the controversy, Cuomo re-entered the political arena with institutional muscle. He secured endorsements from party heavyweights including former US President Bill Clinton and ex-NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
His campaign highlighted experience and stability, portraying New York City as disorderly and in need of a steady hand. Political action committees poured millions into his campaign, and he enjoyed support from numerous local leaders and labour unions.
Yet Cuomo’s appeal struggled to translate into broad grassroots support. Many voters cited his past misconduct as a dealbreaker.
How ranked-choice voting works
New York City’s ranked-choice voting system allows voters to rank up to five candidates.
If no candidate receives over 50 per cent of the first-choice votes, the last-place candidates are eliminated in rounds, with their votes reallocated based on subsequent preferences until one candidate surpasses the threshold.
Mamdani’s lead in the first round appeared strong enough that even with the redistribution of votes, Cuomo’s chances of catching up were minimal. Third-place candidate Brad Lander, who received 11.6 per cent of first-choice votes, endorsed Mamdani and encouraged his supporters to rank him second.
Mamdani reciprocated the endorsement, creating a strategic progressive alliance that seemed to further marginalise Cuomo’s support in the ranked rounds.
Lander, a liberal city government veteran and current comptroller, had drawn headlines after being briefly detained while accompanying an immigrant facing deportation — a move that endeared him to progressive circles and further aligned him with Mamdani’s political image.
Election officials also noted that over 200,000 voters chose only one candidate on their ballots. This figure adds weight to Mamdani’s early lead, as fewer second- and third-choice transfers may be necessary to reach the 50 per cent mark.
How Mamdani’s campaign style improved his chances
Mamdani’s campaign leaned heavily on energetic youth involvement. Volunteers canvassed door to door across the boroughs, plastering storefronts with campaign posters and flooding social media with memes, explainer videos and direct-to-camera appeals.
The campaign targeted accessibility and inclusion, speaking to communities in multiple languages and targeting issues like rent burden, public transportation costs and wealth inequality.
His outspoken positions, however, have drawn criticism. Mamdani has been accused by opponents of being too radical and inexperienced to manage the city’s vast bureaucracy.
His comments supporting Palestinian human rights — particularly his defence of the slogan “globalize the intifada” — were labelled controversial by some, though Mamdani contextualised the phrase as one of nonviolent resistance and equality, drawing comparisons to uprisings like the Warsaw Ghetto.
Cuomo’s campaign and allies also questioned Mamdani’s management credentials, arguing he lacked the experience to govern a city of New York’s scale. However, supporters countered that his vision and authenticity set him apart in a crowded and often cynical political field.
Mamdani has also criticised the current national political environment, especially under US President Donald Trump’s second term.
In a statement on US airstrikes in Iran, he said: “While Donald Trump bears immediate responsibility for this illegal escalation, these actions are the result of a political establishment that would rather spend trillions of dollars on weapons than lift millions out of poverty.”
If elected in November, Mamdani would make history as New York City’s first Muslim and first Indian-American mayor, as well as one of the youngest people to hold the position.
He would also be the first to represent the city’s over half a million Muslim residents at the executive level.
Who Mamdani will face next
In the November NYC mayor general election, Mamdani will face two major opponents.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, embroiled in corruption investigations that led to an indictment later dropped by the Trump administration’s Justice Department, is running as an independent. His campaign is seen as weakened by ongoing public scrutiny and an unclear political identity.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and a familiar figure in city politics, is also back on the ballot after losing to Adams in 2021. Sliwa, a radio host, is expected to carry core conservative support but faces steep odds in a deeply Democratic city.
Cuomo, despite conceding the primary, left open the possibility of continuing his campaign. “We are going to take a look and make some decisions,” he told supporters.
Whether he attempts an independent run remains to be seen.
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