Zohran Mamdani, Muslim, socialist, leads New York City mayoral primary as Cuomo concedes

NEW YORK (MNTV) — Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and state lawmaker, is on track to win New York City’s Democratic primary for mayor, setting the stage to become both the city’s first Muslim and first socialist mayor.

The result would mark a seismic political shift, challenging incumbent Eric Adams and crushing Andrew Cuomo’s hopes for a comeback.

With 91% of votes counted, Mamdani leads with 43.5%, followed by Cuomo at 36.4%. Cuomo, the former New York governor, conceded on Tuesday night, calling Mamdani to congratulate him.

Speaking at a campaign rally, Cuomo admitted defeat, saying, “Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won.”

Progressive New York Comptroller Brad Lander, who placed third with 11.4% of the vote, had cross-endorsed Mamdani last week. This alliance positions Mamdani to gain from ranked-choice voting, an electoral system that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference.

In ranked-choice voting, if a voter’s first-choice candidate is eliminated, their vote is transferred to their second-choice candidate.

As the election board tallies second-choice votes in the coming days, Mamdani is expected to benefit significantly from voters who supported Lander.

Initially considered an underdog, Mamdani faced relentless attacks from a $25 million pro-Cuomo super PAC.

Despite this, his grassroots campaign—backed by Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and over 50,000 volunteers—galvanized support with a platform focused on rent freezes, free public transit, and city-run grocery stores.

Senator Bernie Sanders congratulated Mamdani on his remarkable achievement, tweeting: “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.”

Cuomo’s loss is a blow to the 67-year-old political veteran, who had sought to rebuild his career four years after resigning amid sexual misconduct allegations and criticism of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

His defeat signals a broader shift in Democratic politics, with progressives gaining ground against the party’s centrist establishment.

Mamdani’s rise challenges New York’s incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, who had been poised for a smooth reelection in the mayoral elections set to take place in November.

If Mamdani’s lead holds, it would represent a historic triumph for the party’s left wing in America’s largest city, reshaping its political landscape.

Mamdani, reflecting on his campaign’s resilience and the movement it has inspired, said, “Hope is not naive when you have a vision and a movement behind it. Hope is in fact righteous.”

He continued, “This is the dawn of a new era in New York City. And we will win it together.”

The hard-fought primary reflects national ideological divides.

Mamdani’s platform resonated with voters seeking bold policies to address housing affordability and public services.

His campaign stood in stark contrast to Cuomo’s focus on experience and endorsements from figures like Bill Clinton. His campaign emphasized affordable housing, free public transit, and tax reforms targeting the wealthy, has reshaped the city’s political landscape.

Mamdani has endured Islamophobic attacks throughout the campaign, many spearheaded by a pro-Cuomo super PAC.

These attacks have zeroed in on his relative inexperience, his outspoken activism for Palestinian rights, and his critiques of U.S. foreign policy.

Despite this, he remains focused on the issues that have energized his base. If his lead holds, Mamdani acknowledges that the road ahead will be challenging, with fierce opposition likely in the general election.

Still, he views his potential victory as an opportunity to redefine leadership in New York City and to inspire change across the nation.