Zohran Mamdani, 33, Shocks Establishment Beating Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo In NYC Mayoral Primary

With former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo conceding in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor on Tuesday night, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani is the prohibitive favorite to win the November general election in the overwhelmingly blue city.

Mamdani, 33, is a democratic socialist who earned endorsements from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont). He has been a member of the New York State Assembly since 2021.

Mamdani ran a campaign that focused on making New York City more affordable. His campaign centered on freezing rent for over a million apartments and building more affordable housing. Other priorities include a free bus program, city-owned grocery stores and free public childcare. He wants to fund his priorities by taxing the rich.

Mamdani expanded his following through the strategic use of social media. He had thousands of volunteers working with him on his campaign.

As of Wednesday morning, 93% of the votes have been counted, with Mamdani leading 43.5% to Cuomo’s 36.4%. Mamdani will almost certainly be the Democratic nominee for the New York City Mayoral election in November.

Mamdani’s strategy during his campaign wasn’t only focused on himself and his messaging but also cross-endorsed Brad Lander, who’s currently the city’s Comptroller. Since the election used ranked-choice voting, by endorsing Lander, Mamdani could benefit from voters ranking Lander above Cuomo. Cuomo had a $25 million super PAC, and he also led almost every public opinion survey.

The New York City Democratic Primary was one of the most highly anticipated political events since President Donald Trump’s reelection to the White House. Many believe that the primary would be able to inspire the Democratic party on how to regroup following the loss in the 2024 presidential election.