Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, defeated former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor on Tuesday night.
After nearly 90 percent of precincts reporting, Mamdani held a lead of more than seven points over Cuomo. At that point, Mamdani had secured 43.5 percent of the vote compared to Cuomo’s 36.3 percent. Cuomo conceded the race shortly after 10 p.m., though final results, including ranked-choice tallies, remain pending.
Mamdani’s campaign focused heavily on progressive issues, including proposals to freeze rents on stabilized units. He was also backed by leading Democrat progressives such as Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which helped him gain traction within the left wing of the Democratic Party.
“Tonight was not our night,” Cuomo said in his concession speech. “Tonight was Assemblyman Mamdani’s night.” He praised Mamdani’s campaign, acknowledging that the assemblyman had “connected with New Yorkers” and motivated voter turnout. While Cuomo did not announce any immediate plans, he hinted at the possibility of continuing his campaign as an independent in the general election this November.
Cuomo entered the mayoral race in March with the endorsement of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The former governor resigned in 2021 following an investigation by the state attorney general’s office, which accused him of sexually harassing nearly a dozen women. Although Cuomo denied the allegations, he stepped down under the pressure of a looming impeachment.
National Review reports, because of the city’s ranked-choice voting system, an official winner might not be confirmed until next week.
This election marks only the second time the system has been used for a New York mayoral primary. Under the process, voters can rank up to five candidates, and a candidate must receive at least 50 percent of the first-choice votes to win outright. If no one hits that threshold, the lowest-performing candidates are successively eliminated and their votes redistributed based on voter preferences until one candidate surpasses 50 percent.
Leading up to Election Day, Cuomo and Mamdani had emerged as the leading contenders among a crowded field of eleven candidates vying to replace Mayor Eric Adams.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is seeking reelection as an independent amid ongoing legal troubles stemming from a corruption indictment, was not part of the Democratic primary. “We are not running against anyone, they’re running against us,” said Frank Carone, a senior adviser to Adams. “We’re very confident that when the time comes in November, Mayor Eric Adams will be reelected.”
The November general election will not utilize ranked-choice voting. In addition to the Democratic nominee, voters will choose between Adams, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, and independent Jim Walden, notes National Review.