State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is the leader as first-choice votes are tallied in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, ahead of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who all but declared his rival the winner even though no candidate appears likely to secure a majority in the first round of the ranked choice election.
Mamdani leads the first-choice vote count with about 44% support, followed by approximately 36% for Cuomo — the result of a rapid rise by Mamdani, who started the race little-known but rapidly gained prominence as the progressive alternative to Cuomo.
And while New York City will have to wait at least a week, possibly longer, to find out who will ultimately win the Democratic nomination through the city’s ranked choice tabulations, Cuomo made clear to his supporters he believed the clock was running out on his comeback bid.
“Tonight was not our night. Tonight was Assemblyman Mamdani’s night and he put together a great campaign and he touched young people and inspired them and moved them and got them to come out and vote and he really ran a highly impactful campaign. I called him. I congratulated him,” Cuomo said, asking supporters to give Mamdani a round of applause.
