4 hours ago
Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayoral race
Zohran Mamdani will be the 111th mayor of New York City, after defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and making history as the city’s first Muslim mayor and, at 34, its youngest in more than a century.
His victory marks a stunning rise for from little-known state lawmaker to leader of the nation’s biggest city. Mamdani has held a steady lead in the race since he pulled of a shock upset over Cuomo, the former three-term governor, in June’s Democratic primary.
Current mayor Eric Adams, who had campaigned for a second term as an independent, dropped out of the race in September.
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, celebrated Mamdani’s historic victory.
With his defeat of Cuomo on Tuesday night, the 34-Democratic Socialist who campaigned openly advocated for Palestinian rights will be the first Muslim mayor of New York City.
congratulated New York Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani on his historic election as the first Muslim mayor of New York City.
CAIR and CAIR-NY also said that New York City’s election of a Muslim mayor who openly advocated for Palestinian human rights is a “major turning point” for Muslim political engagement and a “historic rebuke” of both anti-Muslim hate and anti-Palestinian politics.
“The election of New York City’s first Muslim mayor represents a historic turning point for American Muslim political engagement. Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s ability to win while openly advocating for Palestinian human rights and experiencing a barrage of anti-Muslim hate also marks a historic rebuke of both Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism in politics,” the group said in a statement.
It added: “Regardless of whether anyone agrees with Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s stances on various policies issues, all Americans should celebrate our nation for once again showing that America is a place where people of all races, faiths and backgrounds can make history.”
Anna Betts
at Zohran Mamdani’s watch party
As people here wait for Mamdani, the crowd is dancing, cheering and hugging one another. Drinks are flowing and the crowd is in full celebration mode.
Adam Gabbatt
at Cuomo’s election night party in Manhattan
Anthony T Jones, who voted for Cuomo, was in disbelief, literally, as Mamdani was announced winner.
“I feel wonderful. I think hope is still alive,” he said, as the words “Zohran Mamdani wins race for Mayor” rolled across the tv screen. Informed by the Guardian that every major news organization had announced Mamdani as the winner, Jones rallied quickly.
“I’m not disappointed at all. No, because Cuomo ran a great campaign,” he said. Jones added of Cuomo, who is 67-years-old: “He’s still a young man.”
This was the first time Jones, 59, had not voted for a Democrat – Cuomo is running as an independent.
“It goes back to experience, right? And from what I understand, Mamdani never had a real job. He’s a great talker, right? He knows how to dance. He’s done that very well. I just don’t think that he’s going to be good for our city.”
Adam Gabbatt
at Andrew Cuomo’s watch party
I just spoke to a very angry woman called Felice.
“I feel excited to be moving to Long Beach, because there’s no fucking way I’m staying in the city,” Felice said. “I already have a real estate broker. I already got approval for a loan. I already picked out four places I’m gonna go see on Monday.”
Felice, who was drinking wine, added that the city of New Yorkers had voted for Mamdani because: “There’s a lot of transplants and young people and foreigners who voted, who bought his bullshit.”
Felice is a born and raised New Yorker. She said she is a teacher.
Jenna Amatulli
Shortly after the race was called in his favor, Zohran Mamdani – who had an incredibly strong social presence throughout his campaign – posted on X a video of the subway doors opening with the conductor saying over the loud speaker: “The next and last stop is City Hall.”
Democrats win key Pennsylvania supreme court seat
In another major win for Democrats, three liberal justices won another 10-year term on the Pennsylvania supreme court. Their victories allow Democrats to maintain their 5-2 advantage on a vital body that could issue important rulings on abortion and voting rights in an important battleground state in the coming years, the Guardian’s Sam Levine reports.
In Pennsylvania, supreme court justices are first elected in partisan elections and then voters get to decide whether to retain them every 10 years in contests that are technically non-partisan. Three justices – Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht – were elected as Democrats in 2015.
Adam Gabbatt
at Andrew Cuomo’s watch party
There was dismay at Andrew Cuomo’s watch party after Zohran Mamdani’s victory was announced.
“I feel very disappointed. I’m just staring at the TV hoping that the numbers will change, just in disbelief,” said Tusha Diaz, from the Bronx.
We watched the TV together for a while, and if anything the numbers got worse.
“I don’t want to cry in front of people, but I feel heartbroken,” Diaz said. She voted for Cuomo because he was a “great governor” who did a lot for the Bronx. She isn’t optimistic about Mamdani.
“I feel I don’t know what’s gonna happen to New York City. I mean, I have two grandchildren. I don’t know what they’re gonna expect with this guy, you know, with all these radical ideas that he had. Will they be safe?”
Sherrill has taken the stage at her victory night party.
“They always say we’re loud, but man with this vote, you guys just screamed from the rooftops and people around the country have heard it,” Sherrill said, winking at New Jersey’s reputation for volume.
During her remarks, she said her opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, had called her to concede.
Nina Lakhani
In Astoria, Queens, there were celebratory shots for everyone at a watch party at the Tootles & French restaurant – where Mamdani had held impromptu listening events during the campaign.
Alex Callegari, 37, a restaurant operator in Astoria, said: “I feel excited for the first time in long time. He’s making decisions that will positively affect us. He represents the diversity in Astoria. I think will always fight what he believes in. I’ve never seen anyone accomplish so much is such little time.”
Spanberger and Sherrill – the next governors of Virginia and New Jersey respectively – were both elected to Congress in 2018, part of a historic class of Democratic women compelled to run for office after Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump two years prior. Trailblazers in their own right, they formed a moderate counterweight to the rising progressive Squad.
Their campaigns for governor followed a similar arc, propelled by a frustration with Trump’s presidency and an angst over the economy. As much as Republicans are eager to point to Mamdani’s victory as mark of where the party stands ideologically, many Democrats, and especially prospective 2028 contenders, will study their campaigns.
Republican mayoral candidate Sliwa concedes to Mamdani in fiery speech
Jenna Amatulli
Republican candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels Curtis Sliwa conceded the race on Tuesday night with an impassioned speech.
“We’re not only organizing, but we are mobilizing, and we will become the mayor-elect and his supporters’ worst enemies,” said Sliwa, who added to a crowd of supporters that “some of the most powerful people in the world” mobilized against his candidacy.
Donald Trump, most notably, urged Sliwa voters to support Cuomo earlier this week.
Anna Betts
at Zohran Mamdani’s watch party in Brooklyn
Mamdani supporter Soaptarshi Paul said that he feels “ecstatic” after the results were announced just after 9.30pm ET. He said he has been volunteering for the campaign, and feels “reassured” by the results.
“On this day, I feel reassured and really, really, I feel a real sense of community and a real sense of reward for all the hard work” he said.
Republicans are already seizing on Mamdani’s win in New York to cast the Democratic party too extreme for Americans.
“Democrats in New York City have chosen a true extremist and Marxist, and the consequences will be felt across our entire nation,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement on Tuesday night. “Zohran Mamdani’s election cements the Democrat party’s transformation to a radical, big-government socialist party.”
But Tuesday’s election results don’t fall neatly along ideological lines. Sherrill and Spanberger also ran campaigns centered on affordability and lowering costs, but presented themselves as far more moderate in their states where Republicans have made inroads.
In a statement, DNC chair Ken Martin praised Mamdani’s campaign for being “laser-focused on what matters most to working families in New York: lowering costs, expanding access to affordable childcare, and making it easier for families to make ends meet”.
He added: “Mayor-elect Mamdani’s campaign illustrated the power of a big-tent party that focuses relentlessly on lifting up all working people.”
Anna Betts
at Zohran Mamdani’s watch party in Brooklyn
The crowd at Brooklyn Paramount erupted as news broke in screens within the venue that Mamdani had won.
People are cheering and hugging each other at the news. Just moments before the announcement came, Brad Lander, New York City’s comptroller, told the Guardian that he was feeling confident. He cheered as the results came on the stage.
Jumaane Williams, the New York City public advocate, actor Cynthia Nixon, and other notable faces began to mill about the room.
