Zohran Mamdani Stuns Andrew Cuomo in NYC Democratic Mayoral Primary Upset

Zohran Mamdani won New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, a revised count certified Tuesday, defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a shocking upset and sending him to the general election.

The Associated Press declared the winner after the city’s ranked choice voting tally results were released and revealed Zohran Mamdani defeating Cuomo by 12 percentage points.

Zohran Mamdani Thanks Supporters

In a statement, Mamdani stated he was encouraged by the support he had garnered during the primary and began focusing his eyes on the general election.

“Last Tuesday, Democrats spoke in a clear voice, delivering a mandate for an affordable city, a politics of the future, and a leader unafraid to fight back against rising authoritarianism,” he said. “I am humbled by the support of more than 545,000 New Yorkers who voted for our campaign and am excited to expand this coalition even further as we defeat Eric Adams and win a city government that puts working people first.”

Mamdani Narrowly Missed 50% Threshold on Primary Night

Mamdani’s win had been widely expected since he took a commanding lead after the polls closed a week ago, falling just short of the 50% of the vote needed to avoid another count under the city’s ranked choice voting model. The system allows voters’ other preferences to be counted if their top candidate falls out of the running.

Mamdani, who won on election night for the June 24 primary, will be matched against a general election lineup that includes incumbent Mayor Eric Adams along with independent candidate Jim Walden and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Cuomo conceded defeat just hours after the polls closed last week but is contemplating whether to run in the general election on an independent ballot line. After the release of Tuesday’s vote count, Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said “We’ll be continuing conversations with people from all across the city while determining next steps.”

Cuomo Camp Blasts Agenda as Divisive of Zohran Mamdani

“Extremism, division and empty promises are not the answer to this city’s problems, and while this was a look at what motivates a slice of our primary electorate, it does not represent the majority,” Azzopardi said. “The financial instability of our families is the priority here, which is why actionable solutions, results and outcomes matter so much.”

Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and Assemblyman, was largely unknown when he entered the race on a sweeping platform of populist proposals. But he constructed a dynamic campaign that played circles around Cuomo as the older, more centrist Democrat attempted a comeback from the sexual harassment scandal that forced him to resign four years ago.

Shockwaves Through Political Establishment

The results, even before they were finalized, sent a shockwave through the political world.

Mamdani’s campaign, which was focused on lowering the cost of living, claims it has found a new blueprint for Democrats who have at times appeared rudderless during President Donald Trump‘s climb back to power.

The Democratic party establishment has moved cautiously toward Mamdani. Some of its major players cheered his candidacy but don’t appear to be willing to endorse the young progressive fully, whose earlier criticism of law enforcement, invocation of the term “genocide” to characterise the behavior of the Israeli government in Gaza and “democratic socialist” designation pose landmines for others in the party.

Historic Firsts if  Zohran Mamdani Wins in November

If elected, Mamdani would be the city’s first Muslim mayor and its first of Indian American descent. He would also be among its youngest.

To Republicans, Mamdani has already given them a new target to shoot at. Trump and other members of the GOP have started to fire broadsides at him, seeking to cast Mamdani as the very embodiment of leftist excesses before significant elections elsewhere this year and next.

The ranked choice voting model in New York City permits a voter to choose as many as five candidates on a ballot in order of preference. When one candidate is the top choice of over 50% of voters, he or she wins the contest. Because no candidate met that threshold on primary night, ranked choice voting took over. The board will certify the election on July 15.

Mamdani’s Populist Platform Sparks Debate

Mamdani has served in the state Assembly since 2021, and has framed his inexperience as a potential strength. His campaign offered free city buses, free child care, a freeze on rent for those who live in rent-stabilized apartments, government-owned grocery stores and more, financed by taxes on the rich. Opponents have criticized his agenda as politically unrealistic.

Cuomo campaigned on his long tenure, portraying himself as the sole candidate who could rescue a city that he asserted had gone haywire. Throughout the campaign, he emphasized significantly in fighting antisemitism and relied on his name recognition and juggernaut fundraising machine instead of leaning over to greet voters.

Faced with the sexual harassment claims that marked the end of his governorship, he refused to have done anything wrong and insisted that the scandal was politicized and voters were eager to move on.

Cuomo Still Considers November Run

Cuomo did not withdraw his name from the November ballot last week, before a technical deadline to do so, and indicated he is still weighing whether to launch an actual campaign for the office.

Adams, while still a Democrat, is running in the November election as an independent. He dropped out of the Democratic primary in April after he was severely wounded by his now-dismissed federal bribery case. Though he had done little in the way of campaigning since then, he reignited his reelection operation in the days after Mamdani declared victory, calling it a choice between a candidate with a “blue collar” and one with a “silver spoon.”