Mamdani predicted to win the election for mayor of New York

Zohran Mamdani, 34, is the projected winner of New York City’s mayoral race in a race that has rallied young voters and sparked debate about the future direction of the Democratic Party.

Ugandan-born Mamdani, a Democrat, defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, to become the youngest person in more than a century to lead the largest US city.

A self-described democratic socialist, he made affordability a central message of his campaign, pledging to expand welfare programs paid for by new taxes on high-income earners and corporations.

Mamdani was a relatively unknown member of the New York state assembly until his campaign gained momentum online a few months ago, leading him to victory in the Democratic primary this summer.

Mamdani won 50.3 percent of the vote compared to Cuomo’s 41.6 percent, according to projections by the BBC’s news partner CBS. Republican Curtis Sliva had just over 7%. Shortly after the winner was announced, Sliva admitted.

“We have a mayor elected,” Sliva told a group of supporters. “Obviously I wish him luck because if he’s doing well, we’re doing well.

“We are with them every day and we will not surrender, we will not back down, we will not leave this city of New York.”

Cuomo also conceded, greeting Mamdani to a chorus of boos from his supporters. “That’s not right,” he scolded.

“Tonight was their night. Our city is the greatest city in the world and we’re going to rally for New York because we love New York,” he said.

Mamdani’s campaign attracted significant national attention, including from US President Donald Trump, who in the days before the vote threatened to withhold federal funds from New York if Mamdani, whom he called a communist, won.

This is a historic moment as Mamdani also becomes the first South Asian and Muslim to lead the city.

But there are questions about how he will pay for his ambitious social agenda, and critics question how a politician with no executive experience will fare in a hostile Trump administration.

On Tuesday night, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson criticized X for the “consequences” of New York’s election. “The election of Zokhran Mamdani cemented the transformation of the Democratic Party into a radical, big-government socialist party,” he wrote.

The president also posted on social media blaming the shutdown and not appearing on the ballot for Tuesday night’s Republican losses.

Centrist Democrats scored victories in the gubernatorial election Tuesday night, with U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger and U.S. Rep. Mickey Sherrill winning the Virginia and New Jersey governorship races, respectively.

Mamdani’s victory also presents a dilemma for the democratic establishment, which has been reluctant to support him. However, he was favored to win the New York election, leading Cuomo and Sliva in the polls by double digits in the weeks leading up to Election Day.

A relatively unknown figure just months ago, few could have predicted his rise from hip-hop artist and housing councilor to favorite to lead a city with a $116bn (£88bn) budget and global control.

The former New York lawmaker has focused his campaign on affordability in one of the nation’s most expensive cities, campaigning on issues such as universal child care and free and faster buses.

His candidacy drew criticism from business leaders and centrist Democrats, some of whom did not support him, including fellow New Yorker and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Republicans took advantage of his expected victory to paint the future of the Democratic Party as the party of socialism. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Mamdani and threatened to cut off federal funding from the city if he wins.

Still, Mamdani won even after New York City Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race following several scandals, which was expected to boost Cuomo’s candidacy.