Young socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani appeared poised for a major upset in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary on Wednesday, trouncing his scandal-plagued establishment opponent in a race widely viewed as a referendum on the party’s direction.
Results were not yet final, but Mamdani – who is just 33 and would become the city's first Muslim mayor – had such a commanding lead that his biggest rival, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, conceded defeat overnight.
Mamdani's success was seen as a rebuke to Democratic centrists who backed the powerful Cuomo, as the party flails nationally in search of a way to counter Republican President Donald Trump's hard-right movement.
The Ugandan-born state assemblyman was behind Cuomo in polls until near the end, surging on a message of lower rents, free daycare and other populist ideas in the notoriously expensive metropolis.
Commenting on the primary result in his former hometown, Trump lashed out at Mamdani as "a 100% Communist Lunatic," adding that Democrats had "crossed the line" by choosing him.
The top two Democrats in Congress, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries – both from New York – separately applauded Mamdani's victory, but did not explicitly endorse him.
"Tonight we made history," Mamdani said in a victory speech to supporters.
On Wednesday, he suggested his campaign and shock upset could serve as a model for the future for Democrats.
"It has been tempting, I think, for some to claim as if the party has gone too left, when in fact what has occurred for far too long is the abandonment of the same working-class voters who then abandoned this party," he told public radio WNNY.
Cuomo, a 67-year-old political veteran vying to rebound from a sexual harassment scandal, said he called his rival to concede.
Mamdani had taken 43% of the vote with 95% of ballots counted, according to city officials. Cuomo was at around 36% and appeared to have no chance to catch his rival.
However, the contest is ranked-choice, with voters asked to select five candidates in order of preference.
When no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote outright, election officials start the time-consuming process of eliminating the lowest-ranking candidates and retabulating.
For political scientist Lincoln Mitchell, the vote was "a clear referendum on the future of the Democratic Party."
Cuomo had significant financial backing and near-universal name recognition in the city, as a former governor and the son of another governor.
However, he was weighed down by having quit in disgrace four years ago after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment. He was also accused of mismanaging the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even so, Mamdani's success was stunning.
The son of Indian-origin immigrants, he is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America party – the kind of niche, leftist affiliation that many Democratic leaders believe their party needs to shed.
The fact that Mamdani speaks out for Palestinians and has accused Israel of "genocide" also makes him a prime target for Trump.
His supporters include two of his favorite Trump foils – the fiery leftist Sen. Bernie Sanders and progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"Billionaires and lobbyists poured millions against you and our public finance system. And you won," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X.
Currently a New York state assemblyman representing the borough of Queens, Mamdani's eye-catching policy proposals include freezing rent for many New Yorkers, free bus service and universal childcare.
In a city where a three-bedroom apartment can easily cost $6,000 a month, his message struck a chord.
Voter Eamon Harkin, 48, said prices were his "number one issue."
"What's at stake is primarily the affordability of New York," he said.
The confirmed winner will face several contenders in November, including current Mayor Eric Adams, who is a Democrat but has vowed to run again as an independent.
