UPDATED: Zohran Mamdani was projected to be elected the next mayor of New York, easily defeating challengers Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa in one of the most contentious races in recent memory to lead the city.
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, had drawn heavy opposition that his plans would send companies and high income earners fleeing the city. But Mamdani, a political unknown when he entered the race, waged a next generation campaign across media platforms with a unrelenting focus on affordability.
President Donald Trump endorsed Cuomo late in the race, calling Mamdani a communist and threatening to withhold federal funds from the city. Mamdani, though, capitalized on Trump’s support for Cuomo, citing it as proof that the former New York governor would be “the puppet that they want right here in New York City.”
Mamdani tried to moderate his positions in the waning weeks of the campaign, appearing on Fox News and apologizing to police officers for once labelling the NYPD as racist, wicked and corrupt. He also said that he would retain the New York police commissioner, Jessica Tisch.
Mamdani, a Muslim, also faced questions throughout the campaign for his past comments on Gaza and Israel. When Fox News Martha MacCallum pressed him on Gaza, he tried to shift the tpoic back to affordability.
But you won’t say that Hamas should lay down their arms and give up leadership in Gaza?”
Mamdani responded: “I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel, beyond the question of justice and safety and the fact that anything has to abide by international law. And that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, applies to anyone you could ask me about.”
Mamdani’s election likely will be used by Republicans to claim that the Democratic party has shifted leftward, putting the onus on the 34-year-old new mayor to show that he can implement a well-running and efficient municipal government. Just minutes after the race was called, the National Republican Campaign Committee, positioning itself for next year’s midterms, issued a statement saying that the Democratic party “has surrendered to radical socialist Zohran Mamdani.”
On Fox News, Sena Hannity announced the network’s call of the race for Mamdani saying, “Not really a surprise. I don’t know why people are waking up in the last two and a half weeks. I think they should have woke up after the primary where he handily defeated Andrew Cuomo.”
NewsNation, relying on data from Decision Desk HQ, was the first to call races across the board. After Mamdani was projected the winner, anchor Chris Cuomo said of his brother’s defeat, “Of course, I wanted my brother to win. I believe in my brother. I think he’s a tremendous operator within government, but he’s not what Democrats want right now in their party, and Democrats win in New York City.”
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