“The future is in our hands, my friends, we have overthrown a political dynasty,” New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani told a roaring crowd in Brooklyn.
The mayoral race that drew national attention came to a surprising conclusion Tuesday; Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic socialist, is expected to be the next mayor of New York City, according to ABC News analysis of the vote.
What started as a grassroots campaign by a state assemblyman quickly turned into back-to-back historic victories, as Mamdani defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the primary.
Mamdani also bested Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in Tuesday’s election.
New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani gestures after speaking during a rally in Washington Heights, New York, on October 13, 2025.
Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
Speaking to supporters Tuesday night, Mamdani said: “Tonight, New York has delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city we can afford, and a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.”
The mayor-elect addressed President Donald Trump by name in his speech, saying, “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn up the volume.”
“New York will continue to be a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, starting tonight, led by an immigrant,” Mamdani said.
“So listen to me, President Trump, when I say this, to get to any of us, you’re going to have to go through all of us. When we walk into City Hall in 58 days, expectations will be high. We will meet them,” he added.
“Hope is alive,” Mamdani continued.
“Hope over tyranny; hope over big money and small ideas; hope over despair. We won because New Yorkers allowed themselves to hope that the impossible would become possible,” he added.
Polls closed at 9 pm ET on Tuesday in the election that saw historic voter turnout for the city, with more than 2 million residents casting their ballots. Five times as many people voted in early 2025 compared to the 2021 mayoral race, according to the New York City Board of Elections.
Following the announcement of Mamdani’s projected victory, Cuomo conceded the race.
He praised New Yorkers for turning out to vote in a municipal election in record numbers and drew a comparison between himself and his father, Mario Cuomo, which he has done frequently throughout his campaign.
“Congratulations to Zohran Mamdani,” Cuomo said, before being interrupted by loud boos from the audience. “No, no, that’s not right,” Cuomo interrupted his followers.
Mayoral candidates former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, independent candidate, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani participate in a mayoral debate at Rockefeller Center on October 16, 2025 in New York City.
Angelina Katsanis/Pool/Getty Images
“That’s not right, and that’s not us. Tonight is your night, and as you begin the transition, we will all help in any way we can, because we need our New York City government to work. We want it to work for all New Yorkers,” Cuomo said.
Sliwa also gave an emotional concession speech to his supporters Tuesday night, emphasizing that the movement he built to create a safer New York will not be erased.
He also said his candidacy was proof that the establishment cannot buy or intimidate voters, as he was pressured to drop out of the race to clear the field for independent Andrew Cuomo.
Sliwa offered good luck to Mamdani, whom he called “mayor-elect,” and warned that if Mamdani implements socialist policies, Sliwa and his coalition will become the Mamdani administration’s “worst nightmare.”
Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani waits for his wife Rama Duwaji to vote in the New York City mayoral election at a polling station in Astoria, the Queens borough of New York City, on November 4, 2025.
Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images
Focusing on affordability, Mamdani has pushed plans to freeze rent on rent-stabilized apartments and provide universal child care and free buses. He has called for a 2% tax increase on New York City residents who earn more than $1 million a year to pay for these services.
Mamdani’s victory made him the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York City.
His identity has been the subject of scrutiny throughout the campaign, and Mamdani accused former Governor Andrew Cuomo, an independent candidate, as well as Vice President J.D. Vanceof participating in Islamophobic attacks.
Trump has called Mamdani a “communist lunatic” and, before Tuesday’s election, threatened to withhold federal funds from New York City if Mamdani won.
The president also declared his preference for a Cuomo-led New York City in a CBS “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday night.
