Money can’t buy everything: New York City Democrats elected Zohran Mamdani in the citywide primaries.
Mamdani was ranked first Tuesday in the Democratic mayoral primary by 43.5 percent of the city’s eligible voters, with 90 percent of the votes counted, beating out a wide field of rivals in the city’s second mayoral election process to use ranked choice voting.
The 33-year-old is the first Democratic Socialist to win the coveted candidacy, marking a seismic shift in the party’s national standing. Mamdani won Democratic voters over on a platform focused on taxing the rich and addressing the rising cost of living. Chief among his ideas were plans to reform New York’s constricting housing crisis, which he said would involve incentives to develop more affordable housing, monitoring bad landlords who repeatedly violate rent laws, and freezing rates on rent stabilized apartments.
Since Mamdani did not win 50 percent of the vote, he initially was going to have to wait a week until all of the ranked votes were counted. But in a shocking turn of events, ex-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded the race.
“ Tonight was not our night,” said Cuomo, who had just 36.3 percent of first-rank votes. “Tonight was Assemblyman Mamdani’s night.”
Cuomo congratulated Mamdani on a strong campaign, saying his opponent “inspired [New Yorkers] and moved them and got them to come out and vote. He really ran a highly impactful campaign.”
“Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won,” Cuomo added.
Mamdani’s progressive agenda did not come without its detractors. Critics argued that Mamdani’s promises lacked available infrastructure, such as a plan to instate a network of city-owned grocery stores in order to tackle food insecurity, or promises to make bus rides free citywide.
The win shocked the Democratic establishment, which had sided with Cuomo in his bid for Gracie Mansion. Mamdani’s win also flies in the face of some of New York’s biggest corporate interests. Cuomo’s donors included a citywide landlord lobby, pro-MAGA billionaire Bill Ackman, former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Doordash, and a $25 million super PAC that “shattered” outside spending records.
But his loss marks a brutal turn for Cuomo’s power in New York politics, as New Yorkers effectively nixed a city-based comeback for a man that was forced to resign from his leadership position in 2021 after he was deemed too corrupt for Albany. After his resignation, the Department of Justice determined Cuomo had sexually harassed 13 women over an eight-year period.
Mamdani, meanwhile, was backed by grassroots support and individual donors that helped him nearly reach the city’s $8 million campaign cap before he asked his supporters to “please stop sending us money.” Instead, the Ugandan-born Queens lawmaker’s team leaned into their ground game, banking that a volunteer army with 29,000 door-knockers would be able to make the difference.
By the final days of the primary race, Mamdani had received more out-of-state donations than his top two rivals combined, signaling a national appetite for his politics.
Mamdani previously served in the New York State Assembly representing the 36th District in Queens since 2021.
He was endorsed by New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and also won the support of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a figurehead for the nation’s progressive movement.
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