Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani has made history by becoming the candidate with the most votes a New York City mayoral primary has ever seen. As of the third round of ranked-choice voting, Mamdani had won 565,639 votes, surpassing the 1989 record set by David Dinkins, who had 547,901, according to the official count from the NYC Board of Elections. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo came in second with 440,655 votes, 12.8 percentage points behind Mamdani.
Mamdani responded on X after the results were announced, calling it a historic mandate. He vowed to make good on his progressive campaign promises, which include rent freezes across the city, taxpayer-funded childcare, and free public buses. In a statement, he called the outcome a movement to create a city that working people could “actually afford.”
Mamdani, who represents Astoria and Long Island City in the New York State Assembly, has made his name advocating for tenant protections and funding for mass transit as well as fighting utility rate hikes. His program has been greeted with applause and criticism that reflect the noticeable swing to the left that has taken place in New York City.
This is only the second time ranked-choice voting has been utilized in a mayoral primary. Mamdani was the winner in three rounds with 56.2% of the votes. By contrast, Mayor Eric Adams squeaked past the 50% mark on the eighth round last year.
Gov. Kathy Hochul conceded the results and said she had already had conversations with Mamdani about their shared goals in terms of affordability and concerns from Jewish communities. Hochul expressed optimism that Mamdani would be open to reaching out to all groups.
Asked about a Truth Social post by Donald Trump that called Mamdani a “Communist Lunatic,” Hochul fired back. She said New Yorkers won’t be cowed by threats from Washington.
The Cuomo camp, its primary enmities now vanquished, has not ruled out next moves. His spokesman said most New Yorkers are not at the extremes and suggested there could be an independent challenge. And the truth is, most voters are in the middle — they’re not with Trump, and they’re not for socialism.
Now that the focus has turned to the general election, it is unknown whether Cuomo or some other moderate Democrat will get back in the race. So far, the Mamdani campaign has not released a subsequent statement.
