NEW YORK CITY — Socialist Zohran Mamdani will be New York City’s next mayor, defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa on Tuesday night.

Mamdani received 50.4% of the vote with 75% of ballots counted so far, beating Cuomo, at 41.6% support, by around 9 points. The Associated Press called the race at 9:34 p.m. New York City voters came out in such force to vote that the city saw the highest turnout since 1969, with more than 2 million ballots cast by that time.

With the win, Mamdani becomes the city’s first Muslim mayor and one of its youngest mayors ever.
Mamdani rode his youth movement and social media savvy to the finish line after launching his campaign last year as an unknown in national politics. Now, he’ll be a household name in the Democratic Party.

The 34-year-old will now have a chance to implement his hallmark campaign promises: freezing the rent, making childcare free, and instituting government-run grocery stores. Republicans and centrist Democrats had gone to great lengths to defeat him, with some Republicans in the waning moments of the race endorsing Cuomo to drum up last-minute support.

Mamdani arrived at his victory party in Brooklyn’s Paramount Theater to screaming, dancing and bouncing supporters. Some wore Democratic Socialists of America gear, and several “DSA” chants broke out just before Mamdani took the stage.

When the self-described socialist spoke, washed in blue and yellow light characteristic of his campaign colors, he was unapologetic for his beliefs. “I am Muslim. I am a Democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this,” Mamdani said, adding that “convention has held us back.”