Zohran Mamdani poised to become NYC’s first Muslim mayor

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has conceded defeat in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor to State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist whose grassroots campaign upended the city’s political establishment.

Cuomo, once one of the most prominent figures in the Democratic Party, was attempting a political comeback after stepping down as governor in 2021 following allegations of sexual harassment. His candidacy was widely seen as a test of whether moderate, establishment Democrats still held sway in one of the nation’s most progressive cities.

But on Tuesday night, with early returns showing Mamdani leading by a wide margin, Cuomo acknowledged the outcome. “Tonight is his night,” Cuomo said of Mamdani in a speech to supporters. “We are going to take a look and make some decisions.”

Though the ranked-choice voting system means final results will not be certified until next week, Mamdani’s lead appears commanding. If elected in November, he would become the first Muslim and Indian American to lead New York City, a historic milestone for a city shaped by immigration and diversity.

“This is a city where one in four of its people are living in poverty, a city where 500,000 kids go to sleep hungry every night,” Mamdani said in a recent interview with the BBC. “And ultimately, it's a city that is in danger of losing that which makes it so special.”

His campaign prioritized progressive economic policies such as free public buses, universal childcare, rent freezes on subsidized units, and city-owned grocery stores, all funded through taxes on the wealthy. His support for the Palestinian cause and criticism of 'Israeli' policy also set him apart from much of the Democratic establishment.

Trip Yang, a Democratic strategist, called the outcome “the biggest upset in modern NYC history,” telling the BBC that Mamdani’s win sends a clear message: “When Donald Trump is President, New York Democrats want to see their leaders fight with enthusiasm and courage, and that's what Zohran showed voters.”

Mamdani’s unconventional campaign embraced multilingual outreach and internet-savvy messaging. One of his videos, filmed entirely in Urdu with Bollywood clips, resonated with immigrant communities, while another clip of him questioning Trump voters about their priorities went viral on social media.

Cuomo, 67, was widely recognized from his pandemic-era press conferences and entered the race as a high-profile moderate. However, his campaign struggled to regain trust among key voter blocs, particularly younger progressives energized by Mamdani’s unapologetically leftist agenda.

Despite conceding the primary, Cuomo has not ruled out continuing his candidacy in the general election. Speaking to the New York Times, he noted, “I said he won the primary election. I said I wanted to look at the numbers and the ranked-choice voting to decide about what to do in the future, because I'm also on an independent line.”

Endorsed by high-profile democratic socialists like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, Mamdani’s victory may signal a broader shift within the Democratic Party, as it searches for a clearer identity amid mounting economic inequality and political polarization.

With November’s general election looming, Mamdani is now poised to reshape the race, and potentially, the future of New York City leadership.