 "New York City mayoral candidate and democratic State Representative Zohran Mamdani (L) and New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo (R). AFP")
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo has conceded New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary to Zohran Mamdani after the 33-year-old state representative sailed significantly ahead in the race to become New York’s next mayor.
Cuomo’s concession came as the race’s outcome will be decided by a ranked-choice count after neither Democrat got a clear majority in the vote. Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist member of the state Assembly, started to pull ahead with more than an estimated 80 per cent of ballots counted.
If elected, Mamdani will become the first Muslim and Indian-American mayor of the city. Speaking to his supporters after trends showed Mamdani way ahead of himself, Cuomo said that the 33-year-old Democrat had “won” and that “we are going to take a look and make some decisions.”
“Tonight is his night,” Cuomo said.
The vote takes place about four years after Cuomo, 67, resigned as governor following a sexual harassment scandal. Yet he has been the favorite throughout the race, with his deep experience, name recognition, strong political connections and juggernaut fundraising apparatus.
Early voting began in New York on June 14, and by Sunday, over 380,000 people had already cast their ballots — more than twice the number who voted early in the 2021 primary. According to the New York Post, voters under 40 made up 40 per cent of the early turnout, a promising sign for Zohran Mamdani, who enjoys significantly stronger support among younger voters compared to Andrew Cuomo.