NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani has claimed victory over a wounded, but still formidable former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary.
Now he faces an equally tough task: Defeating Mayor Eric Adams and a Republican opponent — and maybe even Cuomo again — in the general election, while fending off critics who argue the 33-year-old democratic socialist is too far to the left.
While the results have yet to be finalized, Mamdani had a commanding lead that will be exceedingly difficult for Cuomo to overcome when the vote count resumes July 1 in New York City’s ranked choice voting system.
Mamdani’s likely win was a political lightning bolt — partly because of the stunning upset of New York’s once all-powerful former governor, but also for the signals it sent about what kind of leader Democrats are gravitating toward following the party’s bruising loss to Republican President Donald Trump last year.
But Mamdani still has a ways to go.
In a normal New York City election year, the winner of the Democratic primary might be all but assured to sail through the general election and become the next mayor. But this is not a normal election year.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is a Democrat, pulled out of the primary to instead run as an independent in the general election, a decision he made after it was clear the public uproar over his now-dismissed federal corruption case had severely damaged his chances of winning the party’s nomination.
Adams had not done much campaigning, but now appears eager to take on Mamdani, who is still relatively new to politics, having served in the state Assembly only since 2021.
“What NYC deserves is a mayor who’s proud to run on his record — not one who ran from his record, or one who has no record,” Adams said in a statement. “We deserve a mayor who will keep driving down crime, support our police, fight antisemitism, and stand up for working-class New Yorkers.”
At the same time, Cuomo appears down but might not yet be out. The former governor could also run in the general election on an independent ballot line and said he was still assessing his options, even after conceding the primary race to Mamdani.
Both Cuomo and Adams are guaranteed spots on the general election ballot because of the state’s generous qualification rules for third parties. Jim Walden, a former prosecutor, is also running as an independent.
Adams created two of his own political parties, one called “EndAntiSemitism” the other called “Safe&Affordable,” to get a spot on the ballot. Cuomo created one called the “Fight and Deliver” party to give himself the option of running.
“I want to look at all the numbers as they come in and analyze the rank choice voting. I will then consult with my colleagues on what is the best path for me to help the City of New York as I have already qualified to run for mayor on an independent line in November,” Cuomo said in a statement.
Heading toward the fall, Mamdani is also sure to face a renewed wave of criticism from the city’s business and real estate communities, which have opposed his plans to hike taxes on the wealthy and poured money into Cuomo’s political action committees.
Republicans, too, have begun to pile on Mamdani, perhaps seeing a potential upset in the cards if the city’s more conservative voters turn out to oppose him in November.
Mamdani thrilled liberal voters with a campaign focused on lowering the high cost of living, but he would be the most left-leaning mayor in generations. He is pro-immigrant, a champion of Palestinian rights, and has proposed socialist-style programs including government-owned grocery stores.
The Republican mayoral candidate, Curtis Sliwa, called Mamdani “too extreme for a city already on edge.”
“This is not the time for radical politics. It is time for real leadership,” Sliwa, the red beret wearing founder of the Guardian Angels, wrote on X.
