Democrat Zohran Mamdani has won the race for New York City mayor, the Associated Press projects.
He defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary. Cuomo, who received a last-minute endorsement from President Donald Trump despite their once-contentious relationship, failed to draw enough Republican support to mount a serious challenge.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa also ran but struggled to gain traction throughout the campaign.
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Mamdani, a 34-year-old assemblyman, built his campaign around making New York City more affordable, riding a wave of enthusiasm from progressive and younger voters.
When sworn in, he will become New York City’s first Muslim mayor.
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Mamdani's victory is expected to have ripple effects well beyond New York City. Democrats will have to decide whether to embrace his democratic socialist blueprint for success or distance themselves from his more liberal views, which may be harder to sell in less progressive parts of the country.
Republicans told Scripps News ahead of the election that they planned to tie Democrats to Mamdani ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
