Mamdani stuns Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary, as Ex-Governor concedes

Zohran Mamdani, a little-known state lawmaker whose progressive economic platform electrified younger voters, surged into the lead in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, putting him on the verge of a stunning upset.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who had led the race for months, conceded the primary and congratulated Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, in remarks after 10 p.m. He notably did not promise to continue his campaign in November, despite securing a third-party ballot line.

"Tonight was not our night," a deflated-looking Cuomo, 67, told supporters. He added, of Mamdani: "Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won."


Unless one candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes in the initial count under the city's ranked-choice voting system, counting will continue next week.

At a moment when Democrats are searching for an answer to President Donald Trump, Mamdani ran on an unabashedly progressive agenda, promising to make buses free, freeze the rent on rent-stabilized apartments and raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers. His promise of generational change appears to have resonated with large numbers of voters.

The Democratic nominee will become the front-runner in the general election to lead a city at an inflection point and gain a prominent national platform as his party tries to find a path back to power. New York is confronting a cost-of-living crisis and Trump's increasingly aggressive tactics to impose his agenda on immigration and transportation, issues that dominated the race.

The fall campaign could be unusually competitive. Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, skipped the primary to seek a second term as an independent. Curtis Sliwa, the 2021 Republican nominee, secured his party's nomination without a primary, and Jim Walden, a lawyer, is running as an independent.

Waiting for results: Because New Yorkers voted under a ranked-choice system, the final result will not be determined Tuesday night unless one candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes. If not, voters' backup choices are scheduled to be tabulated on July 1.

Final days: The contest was especially fierce in its final days. Cuomo, who campaigned far less than his opponents, leaned on labor unions and a record-setting super political action committee burying voters in anti-Mamdani ads. Mamdani, who amassed tens of thousands of mostly young volunteers, traversed the city and linked arms with fellow progressive candidates like Brad Lander, the city comptroller, in an eleventh-hour bid to stop Cuomo's return.

What else is on the ballot: New York Democrats comfortably reelected Jumaane Williams as public advocate. A competitive primary to replace Lander as comptroller was too close to call. Democrats also voted in a smattering of key City Council races. Republicans do not have a mayoral primary this year.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.