By Maria Tsvetkova and Joseph Axle
NEW YORK () – Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old legislator and avowed democratic socialist, appeared set to claim victory in Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary in New York City, unexpectedly surging ahead of ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo.
In short comments to his supporters, Cuomo, aged 67, who was attempting a political resurgence four years following his resignation due to sexual misconduct claims, mentioned that he had reached out to Mamdani to extend his congratulations.
"Celebrating Tonight as His Night," Cuomo acknowledged defeat to Mamdani.
Mamdani, who joined the campaign as an almost unrecognized figure, led Cuomo with 43.5% to 36.4%, based on data from the city’s election board when nearly 95% of voting stations had reported their tallies. The remaining nine contenders in the Democratic race were significantly behind.
The result won't be finalized until next week because of New York's ranked-choice voting method, which enables residents to select up to five candidates according to their preferences.
However, Mamdani's advantage in the initial results from Tuesday seemed insurmountable for Cuomo or any other contender. This was especially true considering that Brad Lander, who came in third place on Tuesday and serves as the City Comptroller, urged his backers to rank Mamdani as their second choice.
The competition served as an initial indication of where Democrats think the party should head during the first half of Republican President Donald Trump's chaotic second term.
Their distinctions were evident: Cuomo, a moderate supported by the establishment who had been in office for ten years as governor, versus Mamdani, a progressive new face promising change from the previous era.
Mamdani is expected to be the frontrunner in the general election in November in a city dominated by Democrats. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who will also be listed on the November ballot as an independent, has seen his position erode due to multiple corruption scandals and his alleged connections to Trump.
The Republican nominee is Curtis Sliwa, a radio personality renowned for founding the Guardian Angels anti-crime organization, who was defeated by Adams in 2021.
For certain voters, Mamdani symbolized an opportunity to bring about a fresh chapter for the party.
"I believe it’s time for someone youthful, perhaps from a minority group, maybe even someone quite different," stated Ignacio Tambunting, a 28-year-old actor, as he spoke with a journalist near a voting site in Manhattan following casting his vote for Mamdani.
Another voter named Leah Johansen stated that she placed Mamdani at the top of her list despite being worried about his overly liberal stance. However, she chose not to rank Cuomo at all.
“No way, oh God, no,” stated Johanson, aged 39, after casting his ballot on Tuesday in Queens, the same area where Mamdani resides. “There’s no chance I’ll be voting for someone who has credible allegations of sexually assaulting women against them.”
Cuomo has refuted the allegations of harassment, describing them as misguided efforts to be playful or funny.
SELF-DESCRIBED DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST
Mamdani, born in Uganda with ancestors from India, carries a legacy of supporting Palestinian causes. He was set to become the city’s inaugural Muslim mayor.
He won a seat in the state assembly for New York's Queens district and has received backing from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both leading progressive figures.
Cuomo charged Mamdani with not having the necessary experience, whereas Mamdani criticized Cuomo regarding the harassment claims.
Cuomo, who became an outspoken opponent of Trump during his initial presidential term, received support from ex-President Bill Clinton and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
In ranked-choice voting, the candidate who finishes at the bottom is removed following every round, with their votes being reassigned to the next preferred option listed on these voters' ballets. This elimination and redistribution cycle continues until a single contender reaches over half of the overall vote share.
It appears probable that Mamdani will widen his lead once further vote tallies are completed, following his endorsement of Lander and vice versa, with both urging their respective backers to select the other as their second-choice candidate.
Lander, who appeared as the top pick on 11.6% of the tallied votes on Tuesday, gained nationwide attention last week after being temporarily detained while accompanying a defendant from an immigration court.
(Reported by Maria Tsvetkova and Joseph Ax from New York; Edited by Paul Thomasch, Daniel Wallis, Lincoln Feast, and Raju Gopalakrishnan)