OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
5:50 PM – Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Zohran Mamdani declared victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday night, following a dramatic concession from Andrew Cuomo in a political upset.
The 33-year-old far-left Democratic Socialist—virtually unknown at the outset of the race—surged ahead of the seasoned but scandal-tainted former governor, Cuomo, to secure a significant early lead.
While the final outcome hinges on the results of the ranked-choice voting process, Mamdani emerged in a dominant position within hours of the polls closing.
Mamdani is a Shia Muslim who specifically identifies with the Twelver branch. He was naturalized as an American citizen in 2018 after being born and raised in Kampala, Uganda. His father is an Indian-Ugandan postcolonial studies professor at Columbia University, and his mother is an Indian-American filmmaker. He moved to New York City with his family at the age of 7.
Mamdani would become New York City’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor if elected.
“I will be the mayor for every New Yorker, whether you voted for me, for Governor Cuomo, or felt too disillusioned by a long-broken political system to vote at all,” he said. “I will work to be a mayor you will be proud to call your own.”
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to respond to the news. In a June 4th mayoral debate, Mamdani proclaimed he’s “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare” — describing his identity as a progressive Muslim immigrant committed to economic justice.
Cuomo, who was long-considered the frontrunner in what marked his attempted political comeback following a sexual harassment scandal, conceded the election, informing supporters that he had called Mamdani to offer his congratulations.
“Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won,” Cuomo told his supporters.
Cuomo lagged significantly behind Mamdani in first-choice ballots, leaving him with a highly improbable path to victory as votes were redistributed under New York City’s ranked-choice voting system.
According to reports, incumbent Democrat Mayor Eric Adams had opted out of the primary and is instead pursuing reelection as an Independent in the general election. Cuomo, likewise, retains the option to continue his bid as a general election candidate.
“We are going to take a look and make some decisions,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo and Mamdani embodied starkly contrasting political archetypes, serving as symbolic stand-ins for the broader ideological rift within the Democrat Party—one a more youthful far-left voice, and the other, a seasoned Democrat who leans more to the center.
Cuomo highlighted how the Big Apple has become increasingly unsafe and chaotic for residents, arguing that only a leader with deep experience could restore the stability that NYC once had. Backed by the weight of a political dynasty, he amassed a formidable coalition of endorsements from influential local figures and labor organizations, while political action committees aligned with his campaign raised substantial sums of money.
Mamdani, on the flip side, advanced his Socialist vision for the city’s future, centered on the belief that a mayor can take concrete action to reduce the cost of living. His campaign became a rallying point for the Democrat Party’s self-described “progressive wing,” earning endorsements from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders.
“Unofficial results from the New York City’s Board of Elections showed that Mamdani was ranked on more ballots than Cuomo. Mamdani was listed as the second choice by tens of thousands of more voters than Cuomo. And the number of votes that will factor into ranked choice voting is sure to shrink. More than 200,000 voters only listed a first choice, the Board of Elections results show, meaning that Mamdani’s performance in the first round may ultimately be enough to clear the 50% threshold,” AP News reported.
The winner of the primary will advance to face incumbent Democrat Mayor Eric Adams, who opted to run as an Independent.
Republican Curtis Sliwa is also slated to appear on the ballot in the upcoming general election, and he is a longtime New York City figure. Sliwa is an activist, radio host, and former Republican nominee for the 2021 New York City mayoral election. He is best known as the founder of the Guardian Angels, the civilian safety patrol group famous for its signature red berets. In 1979, when he was just 23-years-old and working as a McDonald’s night manager, he founded the Guardian Angels to combat rising subway crime.
Meanwhile, the rest of the mayoral field has failed to generate traction in a race in which nearly every candidate has positioned themselves as the best suited to “combat Trump’s agenda.”
City Comptroller Brad Lander, a longtime fixture in municipal government, drew widespread attention last week when he was arrested after linking arms with an illegal alien — whom federal agents were attempting to detain at an immigration court in Manhattan.
In the final stretch of the campaign, Lander and Mamdani issued cross-endorsements in a strategic effort to consolidate lefty support and undermine Cuomo’s prospects under the ranked-choice voting system.
Other candidates in the race include City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, hedge fund executive Whitney Tilson, and former City Comptroller Scott Stringer.
Prior to the Democrat mayoral primary, Mamdani’s energized slew of young canvassers had fanned out across the city, tirelessly knocking on doors in pursuit of voter support. His polished campaign videos could also be seen saturating social media feeds. In the clips, he outlined an ambitious Socialist agenda—funded by New York taxpayers. It described a New York that could soon provide free buses, free child care, “expanded” affordable housing, and a higher minimum wage.
However, as what has been promised throughout time by a slew of left-wing politicians, Mamdani maintained that these free services would be financed through new taxes solely on the wealthy.
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