NYC sees record 1.75M voter turnout in mayoral election, highest in 30 years

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The New York City mayoral election on Tuesday, November 4, witnessed the largest voter turnout in 30 years.

Zohran Mamdani won the 2025 New York City mayoral race, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a historic and closely watched contest, according to projections from Decision Desk HQ.

Around 1.75 million voters turned up for mayoral election

Around 1.75 million voters had cast their ballots as of 6 pm on Tuesday, marking the largest turnout in a New York City mayoral race in at least 30 years, according to the city's Board of Elections.

The polls were scheduled to close at 9 pm.

Mamdani’s victory marks a major moment for the city’s progressive movement, as Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, becomes the first person of South Asian descent to hold the office. It represents a significant leftward shift in New York City politics, driven by a campaign that emphasized affordable housing, public transit reform, and climate justice, issues that resonated deeply with younger voters and working-class residents.

Mamdani faced backlash for not initially denouncing the phrase “globalize the intifada.” Although he never used the slogan himself, pro-Israel groups argued that it could incite violence against Jews, while pro-Palestinian activists viewed it as a call for liberation. 

The Democratic candidate has also been an outspoken critic of Israel, accusing it of genocide in Gaza and saying he would enforce International Criminal Court warrants by arresting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he entered the city.

Interestingly, President Donald Trump endorsed Cuomo on the eve of the election, saying Mamdani would bring “disaster” to the city while encouraging Sliwa backers to vote for the former governor.

Andrew Cuomo allies claim Mamdani’s policies threaten city stability

Andrew Cuomo’s campaign, backed by several centrist Democrats and former Mayor Eric Adams, warned that Mamdani’s policies could “set the city back."

Before the results were announced, Adams, who dropped out of the race in September to endorse Cuomo, delivered a sharp message to New Yorkers. After casting his vote in Brooklyn, he said, “Hey, this city is not a socialist city. This is capitalism, where you can come here as a dishwasher and one day, you can become the mayor if you work hard enough.”

He also added, “The only message I can give to New Yorkers as I go to the next leg of my journey is: I’m leaving you a good city, don’t f*** it up.”

Meanwhile, speaking to NBC News earlier, Mamdani said that President Trump’s endorsement of Cuomo proved the ex-governor was backed by “the same billionaire donors” funding the president.

He further added that Cuomo would be “too busy cashing checks” from wealthy backers and “answering calls from the president himself” to ever stand up to Trump.