NEW YORK
Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City on Tuesday, becoming the first Muslim and South Asian to hold the office, according to a projection by The Associated Press.
Mamdani, 34, defeated Independent candidate and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in a historic victory for the Democratic party’s progressive wing.
— I didn't expect to see someone who looks like my brother in City Hall. He's America's mayor
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) November 5, 2025
— This is a ray of hope, a ray of sunshine for us
— I don't think anybody could run this city better than him
New Yorkers are celebrating Zohran Mamdani's historic mayoral race… pic.twitter.com/jX9hny2V2B
Cuomo congratulated Mamdani on his electoral win, saying at an election night rally that "tonight was their night, and as they start to transition to government, we will all help any way we can."
"We will unite for New York City, because we love New York City, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank each and every one of you," he told supporters.
Mamdani is expected to deliver remarks in Brooklyn later Tuesday evening.
Mamdani, an avowed democratic socialist, has run a campaign focused on affordability and social services, promising free buses, universal childcare, city-run grocery stores, rent-stabilized housing and a plan to raise the minimum wage to $30 per hour by 2030. It currently sits at $16.50.
All of this would be paid for, he says, by raising the corporate tax rate to 11.5% -- the same as in neighboring New Jersey -- as well as a 2% income tax on those earning over $1 million per year.
He has also pledged that he would order the New York Police Department (NYPD) to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he enter the city, citing the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against him over war crimes in Gaza.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said Mamdani's victory marks a "historic turning point" for Muslim Americans.
"Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s ability to win while openly advocating for Palestinian human rights and experiencing a barrage of anti-Muslim hate also marks a historic rebuke of both Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism in politics," CAIR said in a statement.
"We commend the college students and other young people in New York City who, just one year after being smeared and brutalized for protesting the genocide in Gaza, helped elect a mayor who vocally opposes that genocide and supports the right to peaceful protest," it added.
Uganda-born Mamdani became the youngest person in the past century to lead the United States’ largest city.
