Zohran Mamdani, 34, Defeats Andrew Cuomo to Become N.Y.C.’s First Muslim Mayor in Historic Election

New York City voters made history in the 2025 mayoral election, choosing 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani to lead the nation’s largest city — a decisive rejection of the country’s perceived rightward shift.

The Associated Press called the race just over 30 minutes after polls closed.

By winning on Nov. 4, Mamdani blocked former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s political comeback and earned an opportunity to put democratic socialist principles into action while national politics trend in the opposite direction.

An Indian American state assemblyman born in Uganda, Mamdani first shocked political observers in June when he captured the Democratic nomination over Cuomo — who had been widely expected to dominate the primary. In a February Emerson College poll, Mamdani registered just 1% support, ranking last among nine candidates. But through innovative ideas and a growing grassroots effort determined to block Cuomo’s return, Mamdani surged to a dramatic 13-point victory in the final primary tally.

New York’s lack of a “sore loser law” allowed Cuomo, 67, to remain in the race as an independent under his newly created “Fight and Deliver Party.” With that, Mamdani faced resistance rarely seen by a Democratic nominee in such a deeply blue city, as establishment figures hesitated to endorse him and centrist power brokers coalesced around Cuomo.

Ultimately, voters reaffirmed their support for Mamdani in the general election, where he triumphed over Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Mamdani’s campaign was defined by a clear, local message: tackling New York’s soaring cost of living. While Cuomo leaned heavily on national talking points and criticized Mamdani’s positions on Israel, Mamdani emphasized affordability — advocating higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations to fund rent freezes for subsidized housing, free public buses, city-operated grocery stores, and universal childcare. His pitch sought to reframe democratic socialism as a pragmatic economic strategy for modern urban America.

The campaign’s inclusivity also set it apart. Amid tensions over anti-semitism and Islamophobia during the Israel-Gaza conflict, Mamdani worked to show that his Muslim faith posed no threat to any community. He partnered with New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is Jewish, to reach hesitant voters, and publicly denounced Hamas’ 2023 “horrific war crime.” His team also reached out to often-ignored communities by releasing materials in multiple languages — including ads in Yiddish newspapers and videos in Arabic and Spanish.

Mamdani’s underdog journey was aided by the collapse of his predecessors’ credibility. Mayor Eric Adams, elected in 2021, had seen his popularity nosedive amid dissatisfaction with his handling of homelessness and city finances. A federal bribery indictment further destroyed public confidence, and despite his insistence on running for reelection as an independent, Adams ended his campaign in late September after polling in the single digits.

That left Cuomo as Mamdani’s chief rival. Once a towering figure in New York politics, Cuomo’s reputation had been marred by scandal: allegations of sexual harassment and underreported COVID-19 nursing home deaths forced his resignation in 2021. Though he attempted a slow rehabilitation, his reemergence faced resistance from within his own party. Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul — who replaced him — both endorsed Mamdani, while former President Donald Trump offered a last-minute endorsement of Cuomo.

At an October 26 rally in Queens alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mamdani urged voters to move beyond “Cuomo’s playbook of the past.”

I was honored to receive the endorsement of Rabbi Moshe Indig and Ahronim leaders in Williamsburg today, where we were joined by my friend @LincolnRestler.

Together, we will fight the scourge of antisemitism and build a city that works for every New Yorker. pic.twitter.com/hPyAh5k3MH

— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 2, 2025

“While Donald Trump’s billionaires think they can buy this election, we have a movement of the masses,” he declared. “Let us win a City Hall that works for those straining to buy groceries — not those straining to buy our democracy.”

“New York, our work has only just begun,” Mamdani said. “On November 4th, we set ourselves free.”

He will take office as New York City’s mayor on January 1, 2026.