Copyright Newsweek
Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani has won a decisive victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, securing just over one million votes cast citywide and becoming the newly elected Mayor of New York. The result makes him the first mayoral candidate in New York to surpass the one-million-vote mark since 1969. Why It Matters Mamdani, who is set to become New York City’s first Muslim mayor, received 50.4 percent of the vote, backed by more than one million voters. Cuomo, running as an independent, finished second on 41.6 percent with 854,995 votes, while Sliwa, the Republican nominee, placed third with 7.1 percent and 146,137 ballots received. During the campaign, President Donald Trump endorsed Cuomo and threatened to slash federal funding if Mamdani were elected. Mamdani ran on a platform focused on affordable housing, free public transportation, expanded child care, and enhanced protections for immigrant communities. What To Know A precinct-level view of the returns shows that Mamdani’s support was geographically broad rather than narrowly concentrated. Map visualizations and neighborhood breakdowns published by local and national outlets show him carrying large parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, while Andrew Cuomo prevailed in much of Staten Island. Those maps underline two features of the result: strong turnout and a citywide coalition that reached beyond traditional progressive enclaves. Most of Manhattan supported Mamdani, with exceptions in the Upper East Side, Midtown East, Murray Hill, Tribeca, and Battery Park City, where Cuomo performed better. In Queens, Mamdani carried Astoria, Long Island City, and Sunnyside, while Cuomo led in Bayside, Flushing, and Douglaston. In Brooklyn, Cuomo found stronger support in southern neighborhoods such as Borough Park, Coney Island, and Sheepshead Bay, whereas Mamdani won decisively in the northern areas, including Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Bedford-Stuyvesant. Across Staten Island, Cuomo led in most areas, except for parts of the North Shore, where Mamdani gained the advantage. What People Are Saying The Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement shared with Newsweek: "The election of New York City's first Muslim mayor represents a historic turning point for American Muslim political engagement. Mayor-Elect Mamdani's ability to win while openly advocating for Palestinian human rights and experiencing a barrage of anti-Muslim hate also marks a historic rebuke of both Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism in politics." New York Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to reporters at Mamdani's victory party: "This is a big step towards a better future for our city, but it is still going to take all of us to execute on an agenda. As we know, President Trump has threatened New York City if they stand up to him. The people of New York came together and we said: 'You don't threaten New York'." Mamdani said in his victory speech: "In this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light. Here, we believe in standing up for those we love, whether you are an immigrant, a member of the trans community, one of the many Black women that Donald Trump has fired from a federal job, a single mom still waiting for the cost of groceries to go down, or anyone else with their back against the wall. Your struggle is ours, too." Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!! Silwa said at his concession speech: “If you try to implement socialism, if you try to render our police weak and impotent, if you forsake the people’s public safety, we will become the mayor-elect and his supporters’ worst enemies.” What Happens Next With the result called and official counts continuing to be finalized, Mamdani is slated to be sworn in as mayor on Jan. 1, 2026.
