Zohran Mamdani will be the next mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim and person of South Asian descent — as well as the youngest in over a century — to hold the position.
“The future is in our hands,” Mamdani declared to roaring applause Tuesday night at a victory celebration in Brooklyn. “My friends, tonight we have toppled a political dynasty.”
The 34-year-old, Ugandan-born Democratic socialist defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an Independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in Tuesday’s election, according to a race call by the Associated Press.
It’s a remarkable ascent for Mamdani, who was a relatively unknown state assemblymember representing a district in Queens when he entered the crowded mayoral race last year. He went on to win June’s Democratic primary by 12 percentage points, quickly becoming one of the country’s most popular and polarizing politicians along the way.
Taking the stage Tuesday night, Mamdani didn’t shy away from his socialist political views, opening his speech with a quote from Eugene Debs, a socialist politician who ran for president five times in the early 1900s.
“I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity,” Mamdani said, promising to improve conditions for New York City’s workers.
Supporters cheer at Mamdani’s victory party on Tuesday night.
Keren Carrión/NPR
Many of the young Mamdani supporters who gathered in Brooklyn said they had been moved by his optimism and promises that he would improve their lives. “I voted with my parents, it’s a tradition of ours,” said Dania Darwish, 32, who described herself as a Syrian-American Brookynite.
“My mom was crying the entire way to the voting station,” Darwish added. “It was very emotional for all of us to see a candidate on the ballot who represents us.”
Some of Mamdani’s main campaign promises included making the city’s buses fare-free, freezing stabilized rents, providing universal child care, increasing the minimum wage by 2030 and lowering the cost of living by raising taxes on big corporations and the wealthiest 1% of New Yorkers.
Mamdani has also said he would stand up to President Trump, who has frequently criticized — and mischaracterized — Mamdani as a communist and repeatedly threatened to slash New York City’s federal funding if he won.
In a concession speech that echoed the ominous themes of his campaign, Andrew Cuomo warned of antisemitism and lawlessness. “We need the police to keep society safe. We will not make the NYPD the enemy,” Cuomo said, while also condemning Mamdani’s embrace of socialism.
“We are headed down a dangerous, dangerous road,” Cuomo said.
Zohran Mamdani takes a selfie with a young woman after speaking at a press conference on Sept. 26 in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Critics have pointed to Mamdani’s relative inexperience and the political challenges he would face in delivering on his ambitious, highly progressive agenda. And, despite his repeated disavowal of antisemitism, his vocal and long-held criticisms of Israel’s government and actions in Gaza have alienated some voters in a city that’s home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel.
But Mamdani’s vision of a more affordable city, articulated through savvy social media videos and upbeat in-person interactions, has clearly resonated with young and first-time voters (even outside of New York).
He won endorsements from scores of high-profile progressives, mobilized tens of thousands of campaign volunteers and held a double-digit lead in polls going into Election Day. Young voters, who were likely to have supported Mamdani, are credited with driving record early-voter turnout.
Less than an hour after polls closed on Tuesday, it was clear his efforts had paid off.
