Copyright Staten Island Advance
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Democrat Zohran Mamdani has declared victory in the highly contentious race to become the 111th mayor of New York City. As of 11 p.m., Mamdani has received 50.4% of the vote, compared to 41.6% for independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and 7.1% for Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani took the stage in front of a huge crowd of supporters shortly after 11:15 p.m. at Brooklyn Paramount in Brooklyn. “For as long as we can remember, the working people of New York have been told by the wealthy and the well connected that power does not belong in their hands. Fingers bruised from lifting boxes on the warehouse floor, palms calloused from delivery bike handlebars, knuckles scarred with kitchen burns. These are not hands that have been allowed to hold power, and yet, over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands,” said Mamdani. “Thank you to the next generation of New Yorkers who refuse to accept that the promise of a better future was a relic of the past. You showed that when politics speaks to you without condescension, we can usher in a new era of leadership. We will fight for you because we are you,” he continued. Former Gov. Cuomo, who ran as an Independent candidate after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, conceded the loss around 10:40 p.m. “This campaign was the right fight to wage and I am proud of what we did and what we did together. This campaign was to contest the philosophies that are shaping the Democratic party, the future of this city and the future of this country,” Cuomo said. Sliwa, who also ran an unsuccessful mayoral campaign in 2021 against Mayor Eric Adams, has also conceded the race. “To our new leaders: 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’re not only organizing but we are mobilizing. We will become the mayor-elect and his supporters’ worst enemy,” Sliwa said. More on Mamdani The self-described Democratic Socialist has led an energetic, grassroots campaign focused on affordability that has resonated with voters, particularly those younger and more progressive. The Mamdani campaign ignored several requests from the Advance/SILive.com for him to meet with the paper’s Editorial Board prior to the election. However, prior to the June primary, Mamdani did respond to a 17-part Advance/SILive.com questionnaire about what his mayoralty would look like. “My mayoralty will deliver a city where everyday New Yorkers can afford their homes, their groceries, their childcare — it will ensure we can all afford a good life in the greatest city in the world," Mamdani previously told the Advance/SILive.com. Mamdani has repeatedly come under fire from New York City Republicans, including many here on Staten Island, who have voiced concerns about his inexperience, falsely labeled him as a communist, criticized his stance on Israel and, at times, berated him with xenophobic remarks. The 34-year-old Queens assemblymember hasn’t exactly received the warmest of welcomes during past visits to Staten Island. During Mamdani’s Staten Island stop on his “Five Boroughs Against Trump” tour, he was greeted by a group of protestors hurling xenophobic remarks at the mayor-elect who immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of seven. The protestors, who held campaign signs for Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, could be heard chanting “F--- you” and “Go home,” as Mamdani entered Istanbul Bay Authentic Mediterranean Restaurant in Stapleton where the event was held. One protestor, who donned a “Trump girl” t-shirt while waving an American flag, reportedly shouted “Go back to where you came from. We don’t want you on Staten Island,” according to a Fox News report. Mamdani, who appeared unfazed by the protestors, told reporters he was saddened, but not surprised, by the rhetoric he endured. “It saddens me to hear language of being told to go back to where I came from, and yet, it is not surprising because it is so much of what characterizes President Trump’s politics,” Mamdani said.
