Key points
- Democrats win key governor races in Virginia, New Jersey
- Mamdani’s victory challenges centrist Democratic future
- Trump criticises Mamdani’s policies and heritage
- High voter turnout signals shifting political mood
NEW YORK, United States: Democrat Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old progressive lawmaker and self-described democratic socialist, has made history by winning New York City’s mayoral race — becoming the first Muslim to lead America’s largest city.
According to CBS, Mamdani received 677,615 votes (49.6 per cent) against 568,488 (41.6pc) for former New York governor Andrew Cuomo and 108,377 (7.9 per cent) for Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani will become the first Muslim mayor of the largest US city. He defeated Democratic former Governor Andrew Cuomo, 67, who ran as an independent after losing the nomination to Mamdani in the primary election. His victory marks a generational and ideological shift within the Democratic Party, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo in a fiercely contested election that captivated national attention.
The clean sweep of the top contests among several ballots nationwide will boost morale for Democrats bruised by Trump’s onslaught since returning to the White House, and set alarm bells ringing in Republican circles, reports AFP.
Mamdani’s victory came in the face of fierce attacks on his policies and Muslim heritage from President Donald Trump, business elites, and conservative media.
The Democratic Party’s victories in the governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey suggested a shift in political mood as the country looks to next year’s midterm elections, when control of Congress will be up for grabs.
House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “Democrats are smoking Donald Trump and Republican extremists throughout the country,” writing on X that “the Democratic Party is back.”
Mamdani, a state lawmaker for New York’s Queens borough, appealed to voters by pledging to tackle the soaring cost of living, offering free city bus travel, childcare, and city-run grocery stores.
He focused on living costs facing ordinary New Yorkers, building support through his informal personal style, social media savvy and a massive canvassing ground game.
Self-described socialist
“The next and last stop is City Hall,” Mamdani said in a video posted to X showing the doors of a subway train opening to City Hall station.
The self-described socialist was virtually unknown before his upset victory to secure the Democratic nomination over former governor Andrew Cuomo, whom he trounced again on Tuesday.
There was a party atmosphere at his results viewing gathering for supporters being held at a storied concert venue in Brooklyn, with the 34-year-old expected to speak later in the night.
Trump made an eleventh-hour intervention in the race, calling Mamdani, who takes office in January, a “Jew hater.”
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels citizen crime patrol group, came in third after weeks of Cuomo insisting he bow out to increase his chances.
Prominent business people
“It’s typical of Andrew, he’s always blaming other people for his own failures,” Sliwa told AFP ahead of the result. “Of course, he’s going to blame me.”
Prominent business people, including Bill Ackman, noisily attacked Mamdani and funneled cash to his rivals, while conservative media, including The New York Post, published blanket negative coverage.
Turnout was high in this year’s vote, with 1.45 million people casting ballots by 3 pm (2000 GMT) — more than the total number of voters in the 2021 race.
Mamdani’s improbable rise highlights the Democratic Party’s debate over a centrist or a leftist future, with some leading national figures offering only tepid endorsements of Mamdani ahead of voting.
Cuomo said there was “a civil war in the Democratic Party.”
“You have an extreme radical left that is run by the socialists, which is challenging what they would call moderate Democrats. I’m a moderate Democrat,” he said after voting.
Syracuse University political science professor Grant Reeher said ahead of the result, Mayor Mamdani would face an uphill battle “at the center of all of these nasty political controversies.”
Uphill struggle
“Everybody’s got their knives out, and it’s a very difficult city to govern,” he told the media.
There was a grim mood among some attendees at Cuomo’s results party, with some attendees predicting Trump would immediately deploy the National Guard to the city.
Others blamed Sliwa for splitting the center-right vote.
In New Jersey, Democratic Party candidate Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, beat out Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a businessman backed by Trump.
In Virginia’s race for governor, Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger unseated a Republican incumbent to beat Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears.
Both sides wheeled out big guns, with former president Barack Obama rallying support for Spanberger and Sherrill.
“We’ve still got plenty of work to do, but the future looks a little bit brighter,” Obama said responding to the wins.
