In a result that stunned some, electrified others, and rattled establishment Democrats and Republicans alike, Democratic Socialist Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has officially been elected Mayor of New York City — completing a political rise from the margins to the mainstream with a campaign that blended aggressive progressivism with grassroots energy and national notoriety.
Mamdani defeated both former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who mounted a third-party comeback, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, the longtime activist and perennial candidate. As expected, Mamdani’s name appeared twice on the ballot — a quirk of New York City’s fusion voting system — but his advantage was no trick of electoral mechanics. Polling throughout the fall consistently showed him leading, with several independent surveys placing him at or above 43% support in a three-way race. Notably, internal data suggested Cuomo could have led Mamdani in a two-way matchup, a scenario that never materialized due to Sliwa’s refusal to exit the race.
In the closing stretch, the race transformed into a national flashpoint, with A-list celebrities and political influencers wading in. Mark Ruffalo, Cynthia Nixon, George Takei, and Ilana Glazer urged support for Mamdani, while Michael Moore openly campaigned online to energize turnout. Cuomo received backing from others, including Amy Schumer and Marc Anthony, who appealed to moderates and centrists wary of Mamdani’s hard-left economic vision.
Trump should do the largest ICE raid in history in NYC during Mamdani’s inauguration https://t.co/8wvnuCRlAK
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) November 4, 2025
But no endorsement — or opposition — drew more attention than that of President Donald Trump, who shocked many by throwing his weight behind Cuomo, not out of admiration, but to stop Mamdani. Trump bluntly warned that Mamdani’s agenda would bankrupt the city and vowed to slash federal funding to New York if he won. “Communist” was his word of choice. Even Ron DeSantis, speaking from Florida, framed the race as a national bellwether, predicting that Mamdani’s election would instantly make him “the most prominent Democrat in the United States.”
On that, DeSantis may be right.
Mamdani’s victory sends a message — not just to New York, but to Washington. A city once known for tough-on-crime Democrats, Wall Street pragmatists, and Clintonian triangulation has just elected a mayor who advocates for city-run grocery stores, a $9 billion tax hike, defunding the NYPD, and the effective abolition of private property for large landlords.
Mamdani’s refusal to directly condemn Hamas during a Fox News interview became a national flashpoint, with backlash even from Hollywood. Actor Michael Rapaport delivered an expletive-laced rebuke, calling Mamdani “so full of fcking sht” over his evasive answers. And yet — or perhaps because of it — Mamdani’s base only grew more energized, rallying around him as a symbol of resistance against both party establishments and the conservative machine.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s endorsement, delivered in September amid heckling cries of “tax the rich,” symbolized the Democratic Party’s uneasy alliance with its rising socialist wing. Meanwhile, Cuomo, who tried to seize the center lane, couldn’t escape the long shadow of his resignation and his failed primary bid.
National security hawks, like Rep. Mike Lawler, issued dire warnings about the implications of Mamdani’s platform, including ending federal cooperation with ICE, eliminating gang databases, and refusing federal policing aid. Others, like RNC chair Michael Whatley, accused Mamdani of wanting to “seize the means of production” and run “New York into the dirt.”
Despite the noise, Mamdani remained focused. He promised to resist Trump’s threats to withhold funding, defend New York’s sanctuary city status, and build what he calls a “city that we can afford.” His vow to replace police in mental health calls with clinicians, and his plan to shield New York from federal law enforcement mandates, are likely to face legal and logistical hurdles — but they also set the stage for high-profile conflicts with Washington.
International voices even joined the fight: Jeremy Corbyn, the controversial former U.K. Labour leader, hosted a Mamdani phonebank the night before the election. Cuomo blasted the move, citing Corbyn’s antisemitism controversies as a reason to oppose Mamdani’s rise.
And while polling places in New Jersey were hit with bomb threats on Election Day, Mamdani attributed the disruption to a climate of intimidation fostered by the Trump movement, calling it “a broader attack on democracy.”
