‘We made history’: Indian-American Zohran Mamdani declares victory in NYC's Democratic mayoral primary

Indian-American Zohran Mamdani declared victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday night after former Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded in a surprising upset. The young progressive candidate built a strong lead over Cuomo.

While the final result will depend on the ranked-choice voting tally, Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist who was largely unknown beyond political circles just a year ago, appeared to be in a dominant position, AP reported.

In a speech to supporters, Mamdani said, “Tonight, we made history.” “I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City,” he said.

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Cuomo, who was trying to make a comeback from a sexual harassment scandal, told supporters that he had called Mamdani to congratulate him. “Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won,” Cuomo told supporters.

He trailed Mamdani by a significant margin in the first-choice ballots and faced an exceedingly difficult pathway to catching up when ballots were redistributed in New York City’s ranked-choice voting process.

According to unofficial results from New York City’s Board of Elections, Zohran Mamdani appeared on more ballots than Andrew Cuomo, including as the second-choice candidate for tens of thousands more voters. 

With over 200,000 voters selecting only a first-choice candidate, the total number of ballots factored into the ranked-choice process is expected to decrease. This increases the likelihood that Mamdani’s strong first-round showing could be enough to surpass the 50 per cent threshold and secure an outright win.

Also Read: New York City Mayoral Primary 2025: Andrew Cuomo vs Zohran Mamdani in Democratic showdown

The outcome of this race could offer insight into the kind of leadership Democrats are seeking during President Donald Trump’s second term.

Roughly four years after stepping down as governor amid a sexual harassment scandal, 67-year-old Andrew Cuomo entered the race as the frontrunner, leveraging his extensive political experience, widespread name recognition, influential connections and formidable fundraising network.

In contrast, the Democratic Party’s progressive faction united behind Zohran Mamdani. Initially a little-known state legislator, Mamdani built momentum with a focused campaign addressing the city's soaring cost of living. His candidacy gained further strength through high-profile endorsements from progressive leaders Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Also Read: Zohran Mamdani overtakes Andrew Cuomo in new poll, takes lead in New York mayor’s race

The rest of the pack has struggled to gain recognition in a race in which nearly every candidate has positioned themselves as the person best positioned to challenge Trump's agenda.

Cuomo resigned in 2021 after a report commissioned by the state attorney general concluded that he had sexually harassed at least 11 women. He has always maintained that he didn't intentionally harass the women, saying he had simply fallen behind what was considered appropriate workplace conduct.

(With inputs from Associated Press)