Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim of South Asian descent, delivered a surprising victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary on June 24, positioning him as the Democratic nominee for New York City’s mayor.
A win in November would make Mamdani the city’s first Muslim and Indian-origin mayor. Early Wednesday, he tweeted, citing Nelson Mandela: “It always seems impossible until it’s done. My friends, it is done. And you did it.”
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Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid a sexual harassment scandal, conceded, praising Mamdani’s campaign for mobilizing young voters. Mamdani’s win, analysts suggest, offers lessons for the Democratic Party after its 2024 election losses.
In the ranked-choice primary, Mamdani secured 43.5 percent (432,000 votes), ahead of Cuomo’s 36.4 percent (361,800 votes). Comptroller Brad Lander took 11.3 percent, with other candidates splitting the rest. As no candidate reached 50 percent, lower-ranked candidates’ votes were redistributed, boosting Mamdani with support from Lander’s and other progressive voters.
Despite polls favoring Cuomo, Mamdani’s grassroots campaign, backed by 22,000 volunteers and endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, triumphed.
