Zohran Mamdani defeats Andrew Cuomo to win New York City Mayor’s race

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani has 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. 

The 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.

Mamdani’s victory signals a shift in NYC politics

Mamdani’s victory represents a major leftward shift in New York City politics, powered by a campaign that emphasized affordable housing, public transit reform, and climate justice — issues that resonated deeply with younger voters and working-class residents.

Following his win, Mamdani tweeted a video of doors closing to a subway with the words City Hall seen outside. 

He focused on affordability, promising to freeze rent, opened city-owned grocery stores and making bus rides free. Despite his bold proposals, New York top Democrats were divided over whether to support him.

A central flashpoint in the race was his stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

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

Mamdani has since pledged not to use or promote the term, though Cuomo seized on the controversy during the campaign.

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.

According to the NYC Board of Elections, roughly 1.7 million people voted in the mayoral race, the highest turnout for a city election in three decades.

Cuomo and Adams warn of ‘socialist experiment’

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 out, Adams, who dropped out of the race in September to endorse Cuomo, delivered a sharp message to New Yorkers.

“Hey, this city is not a socialist city,” Adams said after casting his vote in Brooklyn.

“This is capitalism, where you can come here as a dishwasher and one day, you can become the mayor if you work hard enough.”

Adams, reflecting on his term as mayor, 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.”

Zohran Mamdani says Trump’s endorsement shows Cuomo backed by ‘Billionaire Donors’

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

He 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.

Cuomo, however, tried to distance himself from Trump, who had framed the mayoral race as a contest between “a bad Democrat” and “a communist.”

“The president does not support me. The president opposes Zohran Mamdani,” Cuomo told reporters.