Zohran Mamdani Claims Victory in NYC’s Mayoral Democratic Primary, Cuomo Concedes… Read More

Zohran Mamdani Claims Victory in NYC’s Mayoral Democratic Primary, Cuomo Concedes… Read More

New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-N.Y.) speaks to supporters during an election night gathering at The Greats of Craft LIC in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City on June 24, 2025.
NEW YORK CITY—Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old New York state assemblyman, has claimed victory in the first round of the Democratic primary contest for mayor of the city of New York in the 2025 election, while former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) has conceded—a stunning upset victory.

Mamdani, an Indian-Ugandan immigrant who became a U.S. citizen in 2018, earned 43.5 percent of the first-preference vote. He took office as a New York state assemblyman in 2021, representing the 36th District that covers the Queens neighborhood of Astoria.
Cuomo, who served as governor from 2011 until his resignation in 2021—due to an impeachment process following allegations of sexual misconduct he had denied—was long the frontrunner in the race, until Mamdani closed the polling gap in recent weeks. Cuomo won only 36.4 percent in the first round—a setback that makes it unlikely for him to gain the 50 percent necessary in subsequent rounds—and conceded the race on election night.
“In the words of Nelson Mandela: it always seems impossible until it’s done. My friends, it is done. And you are the ones who did it. I am honored to be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York City,” wrote Mamdani on social media, claiming victory in the race.
Cuomo’s loss marks an unrealized political comeback for the former governor, whose career was eulogized after his resignation as governor. Cuomo is the scion of a political dynasty—his father, Mario Cuomo, served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994—and he previously served in a host of high federal and state offices. Mamdani, likewise, is of prominent lineage: his father, Mahmoud Mamdani, is a well-known post-colonial scholar, and his mother, Mira Nair, is an Oscar-nominated Indian American filmmaker.
After the incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, chose to run as an independent amid corruption allegations and Democrats’ criticisms of his cooperation with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement, Cuomo became a major Democratic candidate in the race. However, in the final weeks of the campaign, Mamdani’s campaign began gaining traction on social media and among progressive voters. According to some surveys, he was ahead of Cuomo, leading many to believe he could win an upset victory.
Mamdani ran on a left-wing platform and was endorsed by the nation’s top progressive officials, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). During his campaign, he promised a rent freeze, the abolition of bus fares, city-run grocery stores with low prices, and no-cost childcare, making the cost of living in New York City his signature issue.
Cuomo, by contrast, had earned the endorsement of many high-profile entities, such as The New York Times editorial board and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is popular in the city. He also courted and earned the endorsements of many rabbinical and Jewish community figures, who opposed Mamdani because of the latter’s criticism of Israel’s ongoing military engagements in Gaza.
Apart from Mamdani and Cuomo, several other candidates ran in the primary, including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Speaker of the City Council Adrienne Adams, and former Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. Lander, who was cross-endorsed by Mamdani in order to win his second-preference votes, earned 11.3 percent of the vote in the first round. Assuming these voters ranked Mamdani second as instructed by Lander, Mamdani would win the nomination outright after the second-round tally.
The outcome means that Mamdani will face Adams in the general election.

Separately, Curtis Silwa won the Republican nomination for mayor, though New York City’s heavy Democratic and progressive lean means the GOP is usually uncompetitive in the race.
Voters on Mamdani and Cuomo
The Epoch Times spoke with some of the nearly 1 million who voted in the primary in the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn to find out who they supported, why, and how they would react to a Cuomo or Mamdani victory.