That’s Mayor Mamdani to You
It is official: Zohran Mamdani is projected to win the election to be the next mayor of New York City, according to NBC News and Decision Desk HQ. The 34-year-old assemblyman and democratic socialist sailed to victory during Tuesday’s election, trouncing former governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. He will be the city’s first Muslim mayor.
Mamdani won the Democratic primary in June by a landslide, a stunning upset that took both everyday New Yorkers and the wider Democratic Establishment by surprise. Before the primary, Mamdani’s campaign was believed to be a long shot against Cuomo, who resigned from office in 2021 amid a slew of sexual-harassment allegations. But Mamdani — the first democratic socialist since David Dinkins to be elected mayor — won over New Yorkers with the promise of making the city an affordable place for all, freezing rent, making buses free, and taxing the ultrawealthy.
Mamdani ran a campaign as tireless as it was creative. Some 50,000 volunteers knocked on 1.5 million doors before the primary, and throughout the race, he held events like a citywide scavenger hunt, an interborough soccer tournament, and a debate-night bingo game for seniors. He made surprise appearances at concerts — including for PinkPantheress, Wu Tang Clan, and onstage with Lucy Dacus at All Things Go — and ran a series of reality-TV–themed ads that ran during Survivor and The Golden Bachelor.
Mamdani also faced racism and Islamophobia throughout his campaign, frequently facing attacks for his vocal support for Palestinian rights. Though he was popular with voters, a number of centrist Democrats dragged their feet endorsing him: Governor Kathy Hochul waited until September to throw her support behind Mamdani, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries didn’t endorse him until a day before early voting started. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, meanwhile, didn’t endorse him at all; neither did New York senator Kristen Gillibrand, who over the summer falsely accused Mamdani of making “references to global jihad” (she later apologized). He did, however, garner endorsements from a number of progressives, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke at a rally for him ahead of the election.
Following his win, Mamdani posted a short clip on X of subway doors opening and the voice of the MTA system saying, “The next and last stop is City Hall.”
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 5, 2025
Cuomo conceded the race at his watch party at Ziegfield Ballroom in Midtown. “This campaign was to contest the philosophies that are shaping the Democratic Party, the future of this city, and the future of this country,” he told his supporters. He congratulated the mayor-elect toward the end of his speech and was met with boos from the crowd. He denounced the jeers, saying, “That is not right and that is not us,” but was only met with more boos from the crowd.