NEW YORK CITY, USA – Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old son of renowned Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani and acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, has made a stunning ascent in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, positioning him to become the city’s first Muslim mayor and the most prominent Ugandan-born politician on the U.S. stage.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani’s grassroots-powered rise signifies a seismic shift in American progressive politics. With 91% of ballots counted by Tuesday night, Mamdani led with 43.5% of the vote, ahead of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who trailed at 36.4%.
Although New York utilizes a ranked-choice voting system, and the final result may take several days, Cuomo conceded defeat, telling supporters, “Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won.”
Ranked-Choice Voting System Explained
New York’s ranked-choice voting system allows citizens to select up to five candidates in order of preference. If no candidate achieves 50% in the initial tally, multiple rounds of vote counting are triggered. In each subsequent round, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on their supporters’ second choices.
This process continues until one candidate secures over 50% of the total vote. The first results of these additional rounds, which will also incorporate absentee and late-arriving mail ballots, are not expected until July 1, according to election officials.
Polls leading up to the primary suggested the race had become a two-man competition between Cuomo, who served 10 years as governor before stepping down in 2021, and Mamdani, a relative newcomer who has been in the state assembly only since 2021. The victor of this primary is widely favored to win the general election in November, given the Democratic dominance in New York City.
A Clash of Ideologies
The primary presented a clear ideological divide: Cuomo, a moderate backed by the establishment, versus Mamdani, a progressive newcomer promising a break with the past.
The current mayor, Eric Adams, will also appear on the November ballot as an independent, though his standing has been weakened by a series of corruption scandals and perceived ties to Republican President Donald Trump. The Republican candidate is Curtis Sliwa, a radio host and founder of the Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol, who lost to Adams in 2021.
This election offers an early gauge on the direction Democrats believe the party should take, just five months into Trump’s tumultuous second term. Basil Smikle, a political analyst and professor at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, told Reuters, “The outcome of this race could show whether NYC voters feel that more centrist policies… or a broader socio-political movement is the path forward for Democrats nationally.”
For some voters, Mamdani represented a chance to usher in a new era for the party. “I think it’s time for somebody young, a person of color, something different,” Ignacio Tambunting, a 28-year-old actor, told Reuters after ranking Mamdani first on his ballot.
Conversely, other voters were willing to overlook or forgive the misconduct accusations against Cuomo, as well as allegations that he misled the public during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, in favor of an experienced hand. “Cuomo has a track record of showing a consistent ability to get things passed,” Nicolas G. Baldwin, a 27-year-old private school teacher, told Reuters, emphasizing that he judged candidates on their job performance rather than ethics. Baldwin, who cast his vote amidst scorching 100-degree Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) temperatures, marked only Cuomo’s name on his ballot. Cuomo has consistently denied the harassment accusations, characterizing them as “ill-conceived attempts to be affectionate or humorous.”
Progressive Alliance and Ideological Stance
Cuomo has criticized Mamdani for lacking the necessary experience, while Mamdani has countered with attacks regarding the harassment allegations against Cuomo. Cuomo has garnered endorsements from prominent figures such as former President Bill Clinton and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist born in Uganda to a family of Indian descent, is a Muslim with a history of pro-Palestinian activism. He was elected to a state assembly seat in New York’s Queens borough in 2021 and has secured the support of leading progressives, including U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The ranked-choice system could significantly benefit Mamdani due to strategic cross-endorsements. He and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, also a progressive, urged their supporters to rank the other as their second choice. Lander, who finished third on Tuesday with 11.6% of ballots, gained public attention last week after being briefly detained while escorting a defendant out of an immigration court.
