Democrat Zohran Mamdani defeats Cuomo to become New York City's mayor

Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City on Tuesday, capping a stunning run for the 34-year-old state lawmaker, who is set to become the city’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor.

A self-described democratic socialist, Mamdani defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

According to the city’s Board of Elections, more than 2 million New Yorkers cast ballots in the contest, the largest turnout in a mayoral race in more than 50 years. With roughly 90% of the votes counted, Mamdani held an approximately 9% lead over Cuomo.

Speaking amid thunderous applause, Mamdani told the cheering crowd in New York, "My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty."

"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, and yet, over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it." Mamdani said.

"The future is in our hands," he told supporters in his victory speech.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on X that she looked forward to working with Mamdani “to make our city more affordable and livable” and congratulated him on winning “one of the city’s highest-turnout elections on record.”

Mamdani began his campaign as a relatively obscure state lawmaker, little known even within New York City. He went into the Democratic primary, where Cuomo, with near-universal name recognition and deep political connections, was the presumed favourite.

Cuomo’s chances were buoyed further when incumbent Mayor Eric Adams bowed out of the primary while dealing with the fallout of his now-dismissed federal corruption case.

But as the race progressed, Mamdani's campaign energised voters in the biggest US city, leading to his victory.