"Zohran Mamdani will be the next mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim and person of South Asian descent — as well as the youngest in over a century — to hold the position.

The 34-year-old, Ugandan-born democratic socialist defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an Independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in Tuesday's election, according to a race call by the Associated Press.

It's a remarkable ascent for Mamdani, who was a relatively unknown state assemblymember representing Queens when he entered the crowded mayoral race last year. He went on to win June's Democratic primary by 12 percentage points, quickly becoming one of the country's most popular and polarizing politicians along the way.

Some of Mamdani's main campaign promises include making the city's buses fare-free, freezing stabilized rents, providing universal child care, increasing the minimum wage by 2030 and lowering the cost of living by raising taxes on big corporations and the wealthiest 1% of New Yorkers.

Mamdani has also said he would stand up to President Trump, who has frequently criticized — and mischaracterized — Mamdani as a communist and repeatedly threatened to slash New York City's federal funding if he wins...

But Mamdani's vision of a more affordable city, articulated through savvy social media videos and upbeat in-person interactions, has clearly resonated with young and first-time voters (even outside of New York).

He won endorsements from scores of high-profile progressives, mobilized tens of thousands of campaign volunteers and held a double-digit lead in polls going into Election Day. Young voters, who were likely to have supported Mamdani, are credited with driving record early-voter turnout.

Less than an hour after polls closed on Tuesday [November 4, 2025], it was clear his efforts had paid off...

Tuesday's election marks a pivotal moment for liberal-leaning New York City and the Democratic establishment. Both have grappled with how to respond to the Trump administration, which has targeted blue cities nationwide (including the Big Apple) with funding cuts and National Guard troops.

The high stakes and voter enthusiasm of this election were evident well before Election Day: The city Board of Elections said 735,317 voters cast ballots during early voting, more than five times the number of early voters in 2021."

-via NPR, November 4, 2025