Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist and New York state assemblymember, won the New York City mayoral election on November 4, 2025, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Preliminary tallies show Mamdani surpassing one million votes citywide amid the highest turnout in decades.
Zohran Mamdani was elected New York City’s 111th mayor on November 4, 2025, becoming the city’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor. He secured just over half of the vote, finishing ahead of independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa; Sliwa drew a little over 7 percent. The Associated Press and other outlets called the race on election night. The Guardian’s live results and analysis indicated more than one million votes were cast for Mamdani as turnout topped two million, the highest since 1969. (theguardian.com)
Mamdani appeared on both the Democratic and Working Families Party lines, a product of New York’s fusion voting system. Al Jazeera noted that he was listed twice on the ballot—on the Democratic and Working Families lines—with votes on either line counting toward his total. (aljazeera.com)
In a victory speech at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater late on November 4, published in full by The Nation the next day, Mamdani told supporters, “Hope is alive,” and quoted Eugene V. Debs before declaring, “We have toppled a political dynasty,” a reference to Cuomo. He thanked “more than 100,000” volunteers and said, “More than a million of us… filled in the ledger of democracy.” He also addressed President Donald Trump directly: “To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us.” (thenation.com)
The campaign centered on affordability. In his speech, Mamdani pledged to push for a rent freeze for rent‑stabilized tenants, make buses “fast and free,” expand universal childcare, and create a Department of Community Safety to link public safety with mental health and homelessness services. Those themes echoed months of reporting on his platform. New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board says roughly one million apartments are rent‑stabilized, affecting about two million New Yorkers—context for the scale of a rent freeze proposal. (thenation.com)
The race drew extraordinary outside attention and spending. City & State New York reported in late June that Fix the City, a pro‑Cuomo super PAC funded by donors including Michael Bloomberg, had already spent more than $16 million; subsequent reporting showed tens of millions flowing into multiple committees through the fall. According to The Guardian, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand notably withheld endorsements, while progressives including Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez backed Mamdani. (cityandstateny.com)
National politics loomed over the contest. In posts and interviews on November 3, President Trump called Mamdani a “communist” and said New York would receive only the legal minimum in federal funds if he won; outlets including The Guardian and Politico documented the remarks and Trump’s last‑minute boost for Cuomo. Earlier in the campaign, Trump also suggested arresting Mamdani if he defied federal immigration enforcement—comments covered by Time and local outlets. Mamdani, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Uganda, rejected the threats. (theguardian.com)
Islamophobic attacks also surfaced during the race. Late in October, Cuomo drew criticism after a conservative radio host said Mamdani would “cheer” another 9/11 and Cuomo laughed—an exchange several outlets labeled Islamophobic; Cuomo later said he found the comment offensive but did not take it seriously. (nypost.com)
Mamdani will be sworn in on January 1, 2026. In his speech, he framed the result as a mandate to “make this city better for you than it was the day before,” and supporters cast the outcome as a break with establishment politics. He has promised to pursue his agenda while working with labor and community groups that powered his win. (thenation.com)