Zohran Mamdani has been elected mayor of New York City, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo in a landslide victory.
With more than 97% of ballots tallied, Mamdani captured at least 1.03 million votes, exceeding the combined totals of all other candidates, including Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
He is set to be sworn in as the city’s 111th mayor in January, becoming both the first Muslim and the first South Asian to hold the position.
Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens who identifies as a democratic socialist, campaigned on an agenda focused on economic equality and public services. His promises to freeze rents and eliminate bus fares resonated with working-class voters and helped secure him a commanding victory.
Supporters at his Brooklyn election night event described the mood as jubilant and optimistic. In his speech, Mamdani addressed former President Donald Trump directly, saying, “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: turn the volume up.”
On Truth Social, Trump distanced himself from his party’s poor performance, calling for voter reform and the end of the Senate filibuster. He closed the night with a post reading, “AND SO IT BEGINS!”
Internationally, Mamdani’s win drew attention from left-leaning leaders abroad, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who said New York voters had “chosen hope over fear.”
Democrats extended their impact beyond New York.
Representative Abigail Spanberger won Virginia’s governor’s race, becoming the first woman to serve in that role. New Jersey’s Representative Mikie Sherrill was elected governor, the state’s first woman Democratic leader. Virginia voters also elected Democrat Ghazala Hashmi as lieutenant governor, making her the first Muslim woman to win statewide office there.
California voters approved Proposition 50, a temporary redistricting plan aimed at countering Republican efforts in Texas. Analysts said the measure could help Democrats gain up to five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. In Texas, Democrats Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards advanced to a runoff in a special congressional election that could further tighten the GOP’s already narrow majority once a winner is seated.
