A political earthquake has rocked America’s largest city as Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, has been elected mayor of New York City.
Mamdani secured over 50 percent of the vote, defeating former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. He becomes New York City’s first Muslim mayor, ushering in what supporters call a new era for the Big Apple.
Reports indicate that voter turnout reached its highest level for a mayoral election in more than 50 years, with over two million people casting ballots before polls closed.
At Brooklyn’s Paramount Theater, Mamdani addressed supporters who packed the venue and chanted his name.
“I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this,” he told the crowd.
His platform promised free buses, rent freezes, fewer police officers and higher taxes on wealthy residents and big businesses.
The ambitious agenda sparked extraordinary support among voters seeking change in an increasingly unaffordable city. However, real estate agents and Wall Street executives have expressed serious concerns about his policies.
Critics warn that his economic plans could cripple the city’s finances and trigger a mass exodus of residents and businesses, Resist the Mainstream previously reported.
In his victory speech, Mamdani promised a “new dawn” for New York and quoted late socialist politician Eugene Debs.
He bragged about “toppling a political dynasty” and launched into a sharp attack against President Donald Trump, who has labeled Mamdani a “communist.”
“If any city can show a nation how to stop Donald Trump, it is the city that gave rise to him,” said Mamdani, who represents a district in Queens, the same borough where Trump was raised.
He directly addressed the president: “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: turn the volume up!”
The president had notably previously endorsed Cuomo in a last-ditch effort to prevent Mamdani’s victory.
Mamdani also took parting shots at Cuomo during his victory speech.
“My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty. I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life but let tonight be the final time I utter his name as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few,” he said.
The newly elected mayor called his win “a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city we can afford and a mandate for a government that does exactly that.”
He declared that “hope is alive” and promised that “in this moment of political darkness, New York will be a light.”
Cuomo conceded just before 11pm, congratulating Mamdani to boos from his own supporters.
“This campaign was the right fight to wage. This campaign was to contest the philosophies that are shaping the Democratic Party, the future of this city and the future of this country,” he said.
He noted that nearly half the city did not vote for Mamdani, calling them “New York patriots.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who endorsed Mamdani before the primary, said his victory sends a powerful message to the national Democratic Party.
“He was tasked with defeating the old guard of the Democratic Party. It puts those folks on notice. This is about: do you understand the assignment of fighting fascism right now?” she stated.
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