Mamdani wins New York City mayor's race

Zohran Mamdani has won the race for New York City mayor, according to Decision Desk HQ, ushering in a new era of progressive politics in the city and reigniting the debate over the Democratic Party's future.

Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, is poised to become the first millennial and first Muslim to lead New York City, after a campaign that pulled off one of the most stunning political upsets in recent memory. He defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who mounted a long-shot independent bid after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in his bid to succeed Mayor Eric Adams.

Mamdani focused heavily on affordability, pledging to freeze rent, establish city-owned grocery stores and make buses free for riders. He quickly became a progressive icon as well as a polarizing figure within the party over his positions, so much so that it divided prominent New York Democratic leadership over whether to endorse him.

One of the biggest flash points in the race, however, centered on his views on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Mamdani was heavily criticized for not initially condemning the phrase “globalize the intifada.” Though the New York State Assembly member has not used the term, pro-Israel activists say it risks inciting violence against Zionists and Jews, while pro-Palestinian activists equate it largely with Palestinian liberation. 

Mamdani has since pledged not to use the term and said he would discourage others from using it, though Cuomo used the controversy to attack him during the race.

The Democratic mayoral candidate has also been a critic of Israel, accusing the country of committing genocide in Gaza and saying he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he set foot in the city, arguing New York should uphold arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court.

Mamdani also faced scrutiny over his past comments criticizing the police and calling for it to be defunded, though he later issued a public apology to the New York Police Department during a Fox News interview. 

Though Cuomo received the backing of prominent Democrats in the state and beyond during the primary, and though he was seen as a formidable opponent as part of a well-known Democratic family within the state, he was weighed down by his own controversies. In 2021, he resigned as governor in the wake of sexual harassment allegations, though he has denied any wrongdoing.

The Justice Department earlier this year also opened up an investigation into Cuomo as House Republicans have sought to prosecute him over testimony he gave to Congress about a state department health report pertaining to nursing home deaths during the COVID pandemic. Cuomo said at a debate that the Trump administration wasn’t investigating him.

Cuomo was also likely hampered by the presence of Sliwa, who refused to exit the race despite trailing behind Mamdani and Cuomo. Even after Adams dropped out and endorsed Cuomo, Sliwa still enjoyed a double-digit share of the vote, making him a spoiler that almost certainly benefited Mamdani.

In the final days of the campaign, Cuomo received an unlikely endorsement from President Trump, a development that likely did little to boost the former governor's popularity in deep-blue New York City.

While Mamdani's win has electrified many Democrats, his election still poses a number of questions and challenges ahead, particularly over whether the democratic socialist will be able to carry out his ambitious, progressive agenda and go toe-to-toe with Trump in his second term.

His victory will also open up more discussions about whether he represents the future of a party divided between its left-leaning flank and the more moderate, establishment-aligned wing represented by figures including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).