NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state lawmaker and self-described democratic socialist, held an early lead over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral contest on Tuesday, though the final outcome is unlikely to be known until at least next week.
With an estimated 87 percent of the preliminary ballots counted, Mamdani was the top choice of 43.6 percent of voters, according to the Associated Press. Cuomo, a 67-year-old political veteran who is attempting a comeback four years after resigning as governor amid sexual harassment allegations, was at 36.2 percent, with nine other candidates trailing.
New York uses ranked-choice voting that allows citizens to pick up to five candidates in order of preference, a system that calls for multiple rounds of vote counting if no candidate reaches 50 percent in the initial tally.
The first results of those additional rounds are not expected until July 1, when absentee and late-arriving mail ballots will also be included, according to election officials.
Polls suggested the race had become a two-man competition between Cuomo, who served 10 years as governor before stepping down in 2021, and Mamdani, a relative unknown who has been in the state assembly only since 2021.
