Democratic socialist Meeting Member Zohran Mamdani seems to have defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and eight different candidates within the Democratic NYC mayoral main to interchange Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday evening, in response to unofficial metropolis Board of Elections tallies.
Mamdani, who represents a portion of western Queens, garnered about 43.5% of the vote, wanting the over 50% majority of the vote wanted to win outright within the first spherical, so New Yorkers will probably have to attend no less than every week for ranked-choice voting to substantiate the competition’s winner. Nonetheless, he’s more likely to declare nearly all of secondary votes from different progressive candidates within the race given his cross endorsements with different left-leaning contenders — mainly metropolis Comptroller Brad Lander.
The lead the Queens lawmaker had constructed was such that Cuomo provided his concession in a telephone name Tuesday evening.
“Tonight was Assemblyman Mamdani’s night, and he put together a great campaign, and he touched young people and inspired them and moved them and got them to come out and vote, and he really ran a highly impactful campaign,” Cuomo informed supporters on the Carpenters Union headquarters in SoHo. “I called him, I congratulated him.”
Queens Meeting Member Zohran Mamdani with household and supporters after his obvious win within the 2025 Democratic mayoral main on June 25, 2025.Picture by Dean Moses
Mamdani: ‘Not my victory,’ however ‘ours’
Mamdani took the stage after midnight at his Election Evening celebration in Lengthy Island Metropolis to thunderous cheers and applause, following different notable audio system together with state Legal professional Normal Letitia James and US Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn/Queens).
“Today, eight months after launching this campaign, with a vision of a city that every New Yorker can afford, we have won,” Mamdani informed the jubilant crowd gathered on the Greats of Craft brewery. “We have won from Harlem to Bay Ridge…We have won from Maspeth to Chinatown. We have won because New Yorkers have stood up for a city they can afford.”
Mamdani was forward with almost 44% of the vote at 10:30 p.m. with nearly 94% of scanners reporting. His surprising Election Evening lead comes after his long-shot bid surged attributable to younger left-leaning voters energized by his affordability-focused platform. It additionally follows months of destructive assaults on Cuomo by Mamdani and his fellow progressive candidates.
Mamdani credited his victory to his supporters, together with a military of over 50,000 volunteers.
“This is not my victory, this is ours,” he mentioned. “It is the victory of the Bangladeshi auntie who knocked on door after door until feet throbbed and her knuckles ached. It is the victory of the 18-year-old who voted in her first ever election.”
James mentioned that Mamdani’s victory represents a “resounding win” for change within the Massive Apple.
“I saw in my beloved Brooklyn and all throughout the city that this campaign was fueled by the power of the people,” James mentioned. “People heard his message, and we all came together. And I want those listening … who are afraid, I want all of you to know that after this campaign is over, we will all come together. We will heal this city. You need to understand that Zohran is a man who respects the humanity of everyone.”
Queens Meeting Member Zohran Mamdani and Metropolis Comptroller Brad Lander at Mamdani’s victory celebration on June 25, 2025.Picture by Dean Moses
Lander mentioned Mamdani’s marketing campaign had given town hope in a time of despair.
“Our cross-endorsement unleashed a sense of hope in the city, for hopeful politics against Andrew Cuomo’s dark misery,” he mentioned.
The place does Cuomo go from right here?
Although he already secured an impartial poll line within the November common election, Cuomo mentioned Tuesday he and his staff would take a look at the complete ranked-choice voting outcomes and “give some thought about the best way to help address” the problems raised throughout the marketing campaign, together with “the best way to help the party, but most of all, the best way to help the city, and that’s what we’ll be thinking about.”
In accordance with the marketing campaign, the door remains to be open for the overall election, although they didn’t verify a third-party line run.
“He’s gonna leave the door open for November,” Cuomo spokesperson Wealthy Azzopardi mentioned. “He wants to look at the final numbers, he wants to look at the issues and to the best way to contribute to the many issues facing the city and how to put it back on the right track.”
Cuomo, who tried a political resurgence after resigning in 2021 following a number of allegations of sexual misconduct that he denies, was behind Mamdani with 36.32% of the vote; whereas Lander was in third at 11%, and Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams got here fourth at 4%.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo conceded the Democratic main after apparently shedding to Queens Meeting Member Zohran Mamdani.Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
Below ranked-choice voting, extra rounds of counting are held within the occasion no candidate secured a majority of the first-round vote. The bottom vote-getter in every spherical is eradicated, with ballots forged of their favor going to whomever their voters ranked second. The candidate who receives a majority of the vote by means of ranked-choice tabulations is the winner.
The BOE is not going to start ranked-choice tabulations till Tuesday, July 1.
How we received right here
Election Day, early voting, and a few absentee outcomes started pouring in after polls closed at 9 p.m. on a swelteringly sizzling Tuesday. Turnout from early voting and Election Day mixed appeared on tempo to exceed that of the 2021 mayoral election.
The Election Evening outcomes capped off a packed and acrimonious Democratic main sparked by the scandals that consumed present Mayor Adams’ first time period — together with his now-dismissed indictment on federal corruption fees and political alliance with President Trump.
Hizzoner was not on the poll Tuesday since he selected to run as an impartial within the November common election as an alternative — which means he’ll face whomever in the end wins the first.
Mamdani, a beforehand little-known state lawmaker, far exceeded expectations in turning into the race’s progressive customary bearer and certain winner.
His easy marketing campaign message — constructed round freezing the lease for town’s a million stabilized tenants, making public buses free and quick, and increasing free baby care to be common — galvanized younger supporters.
Whereas Mamdani’s marketing campaign at first appeared like a pipe dream, he caught as much as Cuomo within the polls within the remaining weeks of the race and surpassed the previous governor in a Monday Emerson School ballot.
Mamdani has been a prolific fundraiser, hitting the $8.3 million public matching funds spending cap earlier than any of his rivals. His marketing campaign says it has knocked on over 1 million doorways throughout town and has over 50,000 volunteers.
The Meeting member additionally efficiently consolidated different progressives within the race behind his marketing campaign. Along with US Sen. Bernie Sanders, he was the best choice of the New York Working Households Occasion and US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens/Bronx).
The WFP additionally inspired voters to rank Lander, Speaker Adams, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, and former Bronx Meeting Member Michael Blake within the second, third, fourth, and fifth spots.
Cuomo’s concession comes after he had dominated the race since making his late-stage entrance in early March. He persistently led within the polls up till the times previous to the election, swept up help amongst institution Democrats and labor unions, and raised thousands and thousands of {dollars} each by means of his marketing campaign and a brilliant PAC backing it — named “Fix the City.”
The previous governor ran on the message that he’ll “save” a metropolis “in crisis,” referring to points reminiscent of fears round crime, homelessness, and the excessive value of dwelling. He argued that his 11 years as governor made him the very best candidate to rapidly make town safer, construct extra inexpensive housing, and beat again threats posed by President Trump.
The ultimate weeks of the marketing campaign noticed more and more ugly assaults between Cuomo, Mamdani, and different candidates aligned in opposition to the previous governor. Each candidates have accused the opposite of not being match to be mayor.
Cuomo went all out in portray Mamdani as a political novice who would get steamrolled by Trump. The previous governor additionally slammed the lawmaker’s frequent criticisms of Israel, implying that he’s antisemitic.
Cuomo received a robust help from Repair the Metropolis, which has been blanketing the airwaves with advertisements depicting Mamdani as harmful for town.
Meeting Member and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani addresses supporters at his Election Evening celebration in Lengthy Island Metropolis, Queens. Wednesday, June 25, 2025.Picture By Dean Moses
In flip, Mamdani ripped Cuomo as a corrupt and disgraced politician beholden solely to the rich.
He had blasted Cuomo over Repair the Metropolis elevating greater than $25 million — probably the most of any such PAC in metropolis historical past. The impartial expenditure has drawn contributions from billionaire donors, together with former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Invoice Ackman, a Trump-aligned hedge fund supervisor.
Mamdani, together with different progressive candidates, had additionally relentlessly slammed Cuomo for his sexual harassment scandal and his broadly criticized dealing with of COVID-19 in nursing houses.
