How Zohran Mamdani won over NYC
Image: Michael M. Santiago/Getty
Zohran Mamdani is New York City’s unlikely new Democratic candidate for mayor, after he officially claimed victory in this week’s primary election when his main opponent, former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, conceded the race.
How we got here: Cuomo was polling at the top of NYC’s mayoral race for months leading up to this week’s Democratic primary. But Mamdani, a 31-year-old state representative who identifies as a democratic socialist, had an astounding rise from February—when he was polling at just 1% to Cuomo’s 33%—to take a slim polling lead heading into Tuesday’s contest, thanks to a strong social media campaign and cross-endorsements with non-Cuomo candidates.
- Early primary results show Mamdani earned 43.5% of the vote to Cuomo’s 36.4%, with nearly all votes counted.
- And while the race’s official outcome has yet to be finalized, Cuomo conceded shortly after the first results came in, leaving Mamdani the de-facto victor.
The winning pitch
Mamdani’s campaign promises include commitments to invest $70 billion in publicly subsidized housing, freeze rents on rent-stabilized apartments, make childcare free, and create city-owned grocery stores aimed at keeping prices down.
And it resonated heavily with young, college-educated, and left-leaning residents.
- Mamdani led Cuomo by double-digit margins in middle-income and higher-income neighborhoods—like the artist-filled Bushwick, where he carried 79% of the vote—while lower-income areas voted for Cuomo by a similarly wide margin.
All eyez on NYC: Mamdani is a controversial figure on the national political stage—even within his own party.
- Many Democratic lawmakers in Washington don’t mess with the Zohran, either denouncing him or declining to rally around him following Tuesday’s victory, fearing he could hurt the party's brand nationally.
- On the flip side, many Republicans—including President Trump—have celebrated that Democrats elected a democratic socialist who previously called for reduced police funding and sided with Palestinians in the Gaza war.
Looking ahead…Next up for Mamdani is the general election in November, where he’ll face off against incumbent Mayor Eric Adams (running as an Independent), the Republican challenger, and maybe even Cuomo again.
đź“Š Flash poll: In general, how do you feel about NYC residents electing state Rep. Zohran Mamdani as their Democratic candidate for mayor?
See a 360° view of what pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that while Mamdani may seem like a breath of fresh air to New Yorkers, they should be worried he’ll lead them back to the bad old days of civic dysfunction—and discredit the next generation of Democratic leaders nationwide.
- Others contend that Mamdani is showing how Democrats can make economic populism the centerpiece of political campaigns and wrest it back from the right—but it requires the willingness to be seen as polarizing, and confidence to try to persuade the electorate.
- “Zohran Mamdani’s victory is bad for New York and the Democratic Party” –WaPo Editorial Board
- “Zohran Mamdani's astonishing rise is a vital lesson for Democrats” –Zeeshan Aleem, MSNBC
- “Zohran Mamdani’s win was a surprise. The attacks that have followed are not” –Sophia Tesfaye, Salon
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that Mamdani’s victory signals the rise of leftwing economic populism as a counter to MAGA nationwide, and that the Democratic establishment can only blame themselves for demonstrating the failure of big-city Democratic governance.
- Others contend that Mamdani’s victory can be traced to the subversion of the US education system, which has infused generations of gullible young people with Leftist claptrap, teaching them that capitalism is evil and exploitative and socialism is better.
- “The People’s Republic of New York City” –WSJ Editorial Board
- “New York's socialist nightmare is just beginning but there's still a way out” –Liz Peek, Fox News
- “Eric Adams has a real chance to stop Mamdani — but Andrew Cuomo needs to announce he’s dropping out “ –NY Post Editorial Board
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