 "Democratic candidate for New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, dances with a supporter while campaigning at a senior centre in Manhattan's Lower East Side neighbourhood of New York City. Reuters")
Zohran Mamdani has won the New York mayor elections, defeating independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, who was backed by US President Donald Trump. Mamdani is set to become the first millenial and Muslim mayor of New York.
Decision Desk HQ shows that Mamdani won 50.2 per cent of the votes and received 782,403 votes, while his contender Cuomo won 41.5 per cent and got 646,951 of votes. Mamdani will succeed Mayor Eric Adams, who had cast his vote for Cuomo.
Mamdani will likely pave the way to a new era of politics in New York as a self-proclaimed democratic socialist. Trump has always been sceptical of Mamdani and his left-leaning ideas, expressing concerns over socialist policies warping his hometown.
A favourite among New Yorkers
Mamdani has pledged sweeping social reforms, including rent freezes, fare-free public buses, universal childcare, and city-owned grocery stores designed to lower living costs.
His campaign has drawn significant attention and support — including a call from former President Barack Obama, who reportedly told Mamdani that his “campaign has been impressive to watch.”
With the victory, the democratic socialist will etch his place in history as the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage and the first born in Africa. He will also become the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office on January 1, 2026.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMamdani’s grassroots campaign centred on affordability, and his charisma spoiled Cuomo’s attempted political comeback. The former governor, who resigned four years ago following allegations of sexual harassment that he continues to deny, was dogged by his past throughout the race and was criticised for running a negative campaign.
NBC News exit polls have shown that Mamdani won the support of white, Black, Latino, Asian and voters of other races. The 34-year-old Democrat also got an overwhelming backing from young voters, with people 45 years old or younger favouring him over Cuomo by 43 points.
Trump vs Mamdani
Mamdani’s left-leaning ideologies have dragged Trump into local elections, with the president making significant statements opposing the Indian-American Democrat.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Trump lashed out at Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, calling any Jewish person voting for him a “stupid person” and branding the candidate a “proven and self professed JEW HATER” — an unsubstantiated claim echoing rhetoric often used by far-right activists.
Trump had also said that he would restrict federal funding to New York if Democratic Mamdani wins the election.
“It’s gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York, because if you have a Communist running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there,” Trump said.