Mamdani, a New York state assemblyman, led the first round of tallying with 43.5 percent of the vote.
NEW YORK CITY—Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old New York state assemblyman, has claimed victory in the first round of the Democratic primary contest for mayor of New York City in the 2025 election, while former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has conceded—a stunning upset victory.
Mamdani, an Indian Ugandan immigrant who became a U.S. citizen in 2018, earned 43.5 percent of the first-preference vote. He took office as a New York state assemblyman in 2021, representing the 36th District that covers the Queens neighborhood of Astoria.
Cuomo, who served as governor from 2011 until his resignation in 2021—he resigned because of an impeachment process following allegations of sexual misconduct he has denied—was long the frontrunner in the race, until Mamdani closed the polling gap in recent weeks. Cuomo won only 36.4 percent in the first round—a setback that makes it unlikely for him to gain the 50 percent necessary in subsequent rounds—and conceded the race on election night.
“In the words of Nelson Mandela: it always seems impossible until it’s done,” Mamdani wrote on social media, claiming victory in the race. “My friends, it is done. And you are the ones who did it. I am honored to be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York City.”
Cuomo’s loss marks an unrealized political comeback for the former governor, whose career was eulogized after his resignation as governor. Cuomo is the scion of a political dynasty—his father, Mario Cuomo, served as the 52nd governor of New York from 1983 to 1994—and he previously served in a host of high federal and state offices. Mamdani, likewise, is of prominent lineage: His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a well-known postcolonial scholar, and his mother, Mira Nair, is an Oscar-nominated Indian American filmmaker.
After the incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, chose to run as an independent amid corruption allegations and Democrats’ criticisms of his cooperation with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement, Cuomo became a major Democratic candidate in the race. However, in the final weeks of the campaign, Mamdani’s campaign began gaining traction on social media and among progressive voters. According to some surveys, he was ahead of Cuomo, leading many to believe that he could win an upset victory.
Mamdani ran on a left-wing platform and was endorsed by the nation’s top progressive officials, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). During his campaign, he promised a rent freeze, the abolition of bus fares, city-run grocery stores with low prices, and no-cost child care, making the cost of living in New York City his signature issue.
Cuomo, by contrast, had earned the endorsement of many high-profile entities, such as The New York Times editorial board and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is popular in the city. He also courted and earned the endorsements of many rabbinical and Jewish community figures, who opposed Mamdani because of the latter’s criticism of Israel’s ongoing military engagements in the Gaza Strip.
Apart from Mamdani and Cuomo, several other candidates ran in the primary, including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Speaker of the New York City Council Adrienne Adams, and former Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. Lander, who was cross-endorsed by Mamdani in order to win his second-preference votes, earned 11.3 percent of the vote in the first round. Assuming that these voters ranked Mamdani second as instructed by Lander, Mamdani would win the nomination outright after the second-round tally.
The outcome means that Mamdani will face Adams in the general election.
Separately, Curtis Sliwa won the Republican nomination for mayor, although New York City’s heavy Democratic and progressive lean means that the GOP is usually uncompetitive in the race.
By Arjun Singh
