Campaigning on cost of living issues, Mamdani beat out ex-governor Andrew Cuomo and his $25m super PAC.
Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state lawmaker, has declared victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary after beating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a landslide win during the first round of voting.
“In the words of Nelson Mandela: it always seems impossible until it’s done. My friends, it is done. And you are the ones who did it. I am honoured to be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York City,” Mamdani tweeted early on Wednesday morning.
Initial results show Mamdani secured 43.5 percent of votes to Cuomo’s 36.4 percent, with major wins across the New York boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, and much of Manhattan, while Cuomo took the Bronx and Staten Island.
Mamdani was relatively unknown before the primary election but gained traction as a self-described “democratic socialist” during a time of upheaval in national politics following the inauguration of United States President Donald Trump.
