New Yorkers elected Zohran Mamdani as their next mayor Tuesday as U.S. voters took part in several key local and state elections ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Mamdani’s victory came after a highly watched campaign in which he faced strong criticism from business elites and conservative media commentators.
The Democratic Party also secured victories in the governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey. In California, voters approved a proposition to redraw electoral districts.
President Donald Trump declined to take any responsibility for the results. In a post on his Truth Social network, he cited anonymous “pollsters” suggesting that Republican defeats were due to the government shutdown and the fact that his own name wasn’t on the ballots.
Mamdani, a state lawmaker for New York’s Queens borough, appealed to voters by pledging to tackle the soaring cost of living, offering free city bus travel, childcare, and city-run grocery stores.
He built support through his personal approach, social media presence, and strong grassroots campaigning. “The next and last stop is City Hall,” Mamdani said in a video posted to X after his victory was declared.
The 33-year-old, who identifies as a democratic socialist, was relatively unknown before his surprise victory over former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primaries – a candidate he defeated once again on Tuesday.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels citizen crime patrol group, came in third after Cuomo declined to step aside to consolidate the center-right vote.
Prominent business figures, including Bill Ackman, had criticized Mamdani and supported his rivals, while conservative outlets such as The New York Post provided extensive coverage of the campaign.
Turnout was high, with 1.45 million people casting ballots by 3 p.m.—surpassing the total number of voters in the 2021 race.
With AFP
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