Democrat Socialist Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race, defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa after a campaign defined by national attention, polling leads throughout the fall, and public debate over his economic, immigration, and foreign policy positions.
Mamdani — whose name appeared twice on the New York City ballot due to multiple party lines, a routine practice unique to the city’s ballot structure — entered Election Day with consistent polling advantages.
Independent surveys found Mamdani at 43 percent support going into the final weekend, with Cuomo trailing and Sliwa in third. Separate polling also showed that if the race had narrowed to a two-way matchup, Cuomo would have led head-to-head. In addition, the Manhattan Institute polling found Mamdani at 43 percent to Cuomo’s 28 percent in one survey, and leading when undecided voters were removed.
Hollywood involvement marked the final hours before voting, with performers and celebrities including Ilana Glazer, Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Klein, Jeff Hillier, George Takei, Mandy Patinkin, and Cynthia Nixon publicly participating in pro-Mamdani efforts. Michael Moore urged turnout nationwide. Other figures, including Amy Schumer and Marc Anthony, encouraged New Yorkers to back Cuomo.
National political figures engaged directly. President Donald Trump repeatedly urged voters to support Cuomo, warning that choosing Sliwa would benefit Mamdani. Trump also stated he would limit federal funding to New York if Mamdani won.
Cuomo noted that Trump was not supporting him personally but was rejecting Mamdani, emphasizing that Trump believes Mamdani is a “Communist” while he himself characterized Mamdani as a “Socialist.” Former RNC chairman and North Carolina Senate candidate Michael Whatley contended on Breitbart News Daily that Mamdani’s economic ideas, including tax increases and his approach to policing, would “run New York into the dirt.”
Rep. Mike Lawler warned that Mamdani’s platform — including raising taxes by about $9 billion, “seizing the means of production,” ending private property, abolishing billionaires, defunding the NYPD, eliminating the gang database, and refusing NYPD federal cooperation — would jeopardize New York’s economic and security posture and could trigger a mass exodus.
Speaker Mike Johnson remarked that national Democrats were watching the race closely due to concerns over far-left influence. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis predicted that if elected, Mamdani would become the most prominent Democrat in the United States the day he takes office.
During the campaign, Mamdani opposed NYPD cooperation with civil immigration enforcement outside the limited circumstances already enumerated under city law, pledged to defend sanctuary city policies, and publicly stated he would resist Trump administration federal funding conditions. He also said he would take legal steps to protect city funding after Trump signaled potential limitations. Mamdani also advocated for city-run grocery stores and supported the idea that mental health professionals, rather than law enforcement, respond in certain crisis situations.
The final period ahead of Election Day included international acknowledgement when former British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn hosted a phonebank for Mamdani’s supporters on the eve of the election.
Several polling places in New Jersey received bomb threats on Election Day, and Mamdani characterized the situation as part of what he described as broader attacks on democracy and voter intimidation linked to the Trump administration.
Mamdani addressed scrutiny over past personal remarks, including clarifying that a relative he previously described as his “aunt” in a September 11 context was his father’s cousin. Separately, his refusal on Fox News to directly answer whether Hamas should lay down its arms prompted follow-on backlash, including actor Michael Rapaport calling him “so full of f*cking sh*t” during an interview while reacting to Mamdani refusing to give a yes-or-no answer.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Mamdani in September. At a rally, she was heckled by attendees calling to “tax the rich.” Hochul told supporters the city was “under attack” by national Republicans. Meanwhile, Cuomo said New York needed leadership that rejects antisemitism and cited Corbyn’s involvement in the race. Sliwa, running on multiple ballot lines, attempted to tap an anti-Mamdani bloc.
According to DeSantis’s earlier assessment, his victory instantly positions him as a central figure in national Democratic politics heading into 2026.
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