Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist state representative, has won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, NBC News projected following the release of the city’s ranked choice voting results on Tuesday.
Mamdani declared victory on election night last week after his closest competitor, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, conceded. Though early results showed Mamdani leading the crowded Democratic field of progressives and moderates with 43.5% support in the first-choice count, he did not clear the 50% mark, which moved the race onto the additional rounds of tabulation with city officials counting second- and third-choice votes.
The victory is a remarkable result for a relative newcomer to New York politics. Mamdani was elected to the New York state Assembly in 2021 after several stints on other progressive politicians’ campaigns, and he launched his campaign for mayor last fall.
“I will be the mayor for every New Yorker, whether you voted for me, for Governor Cuomo, or felt too disillusioned by a long-broken political system to vote at all,” Mamdani said during his victory speech on election night. “I will fight for a city that works for you, that is affordable for you, that is safe for you. I will work to be a mayor you will be proud to call your own. I cannot promise that you will always agree with me, but I will never hide from you.”
Like his competitors, Mamdani ran on a promise to make New York City more affordable, though some critics have questioned the practicality of his proposals, especially on housing. But Mamdani’s message resonated with many New Yorkers, in part due to a highly effective social media campaign.
He also had far more individual donors than the other candidates in the race, which his campaign said spoke to his wide appeal, but historically has not always translated into success at the ballot box.
Mamdani will be vying for the mayor’s seat with the incumbent, Eric Adams, who is running as an independent. Cuomo is also expected to run as an independent in November after losing the Democratic primary, although he has not formally confirmed his bid.
