Democratic socialist and pro-Palestinian Zohran Mamdani sweeps past old guard Andrew Cuomo in NYC mayoral race

With most of the votes cast in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary Tuesday night, veteran politician Andrew Cuomo conceded to upstart Zohran Mamdani, making it all but sure that the newcomer will represent the party in the intensely blue city in November, poising him to win the general election.

The road to first place, which earned him around 44 percent of the votes, followed by around 36 percent for Cuomo, was an uphill battle for Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman who struggled with name recognition in a crowded field of more seasoned candidates.

The Muslim Democratic Socialist was also dogged by questions about his position on Israel, which he used as a way to discuss inclusivity in his campaign.

His biggest competition was Cuomo, the former governor who had resigned from office in disgrace following allegations of endangering nursing home patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and with more than a dozen women accusing him of sexual harassment.

At the end of election day, Cuomo's concession to Mamdani was apparent. "Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won," said a visibly stunned Cuomo, who commanded a strong lead until around a week before the primary.

"Tonight we made history," Mamdani told supporters at a victory party. "My friends, we have done it. I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City."

Cuomo's choice of the word "deserved" to describe Mamdani's victory seemed fitting, coming from a candidate who had relied mainly on his own name recognition and significant donations to support his bid.

Meanwhile, Mamdani, who campaigned on affordable housing and transportation, gradually built a coalition with the help of community organisers and grassroots fundraising.

"We knocked on more than a thousand doors," Debbie Almontaser, senior advisor for Emgage in Metro New York, told The New Arab.

"I think he built the momentum because he's so approachable. He wins over anybody he meets for the first time with his infectious smile and genuine interest to lean in," Almontaser said.

"He's reinvigorated the Democratic Party and given it a boost," she added.

Indeed, before Mamdani's recent surge in the polls, the two main frontrunners were Cuomo and current Mayor Eric Adams, who was indicted on bribery charges and is running as an independent.

Both candidates are highly unpopular among the city's Democratic electorate, though it was unclear until recently if a contender from the party's divided left could emerge from the crowded field. The answer came last week, with polls indicating a virtual tie between Mamdani and Cuomo. A day before the election, Mamadani had finally surpassed Cuomo in the polls.

"This could be a watershed Democratic primary. Mamdani, if elected, would probably be the most openly socialist big-city mayor in the country. But even tonight, in a high-turnout primary, he upset a known, if flawed, commodity in state politics. This is an upset possibly on par with AOC in 2018," J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia, told TNA.

"For Cuomo, the baggage from his exit as governor seemed too much to overcome. Cuomo seemed to limit his public events and 'coast' on name recognition. In some years, that may have worked, but the Democratic electorate seems to be in an anti-establishment mood," he said.

The tally of New York's ranked-choice voting will be completed on 1 July, making Mamdani's victory official. In November's general election, he will face Adams running as an independent and Republican Curtis Sliwa, known for founding the Guardian Angels, a civilian crime-fighting group. It's unclear if Cuomo will run in the general election under a minor party or as an independent. However, after Tuesday's upset, he appears to have lost much of his earlier momentum.

"Cuomo could theoretically run as an independent in the general election, but I have to think Mamdani's comfortable primary win—he has an 7-8 percent lead before a ranked choice—may discourage him," said Coleman. "Why would Cuomo want to get beaten by Mamdani again?"