EXPLAINER – Mamdani’s historic win: What it means for the Democratic Party

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) – Zohran Mamdani made history Tuesday night, declaring victory in New York City’s fiercely contested mayoral race after defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in one of the most high-profile political upsets in the city’s modern history.

“My friends, we have topped a political dynasty,” Mamdani told cheering supporters at his victory party as results confirmed his narrow but decisive win.

With 98% of precincts reporting and more than 2 million votes cast, Mamdani secured 50.4% of the vote, while Cuomo, running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, trailed with 41.6%. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa finished a distant third with 7.1%.

“On January 1st, I will be sworn in as the mayor of New York City – and that is because of you,” said Mamdani, 34. “To every New Yorker in Kensington and Midwood and Hunts Point, know this: this city is your city, and this democracy is yours too.”

Mamdani’s victory marks several firsts: he becomes New York’s first Muslim and Asian American mayor, as well as its first immigrant leader in eight decades. His insurgent campaign upended New York’s political establishment and energized a new coalition of young progressives, working-class voters, and historically underrepresented communities.

- Trump’s stance and a new political clash

The victory also sets the stage for a collision course with President Donald Trump, who personally campaigned against Mamdani in the final days of the race. As results rolled in Tuesday night, Trump unleashed a barrage of posts on his US social media platform Truth Social, calling Mamdani a “Communist Candidate” and threatening to cut off federal funding to New York City.

“If Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the Election for Mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required,” Trump wrote. “It can only get worse with a Communist at the helm.”

Mamdani, who had been the target of Trump’s attacks for months, responded with defiance during his victory speech. “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him,” he said. “And if there is any way to defeat a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power. This is not only how we stop Trump – it’s how we stop the next one.”

Minutes later, Trump appeared to be watching live, posting a brief response: “…and so it begins!”

The exchange signaled that Mamdani’s tenure may mirror the fraught relationship between previous Democratic mayors and Republican administrations – but now with even higher stakes, given the mayor-elect’s progressive politics.

- Local reforms and global issues

An assemblyman from Queens, Mamdani will succeed Mayor Eric Adams and become the first leader from New York City’s most diverse borough to hold the office.

Born in Uganda to Indian parents and raised in New York, Mamdani rose to prominence through grassroots organizing, representing a new generation of left-leaning Democrats shaped by issues of inequality, racial justice, and affordable housing.

His campaign mobilized young voters – especially those under 35 – and drew strong turnout from Muslim and South Asian communities long marginalized in city politics. Polls also showed that Mamdani – a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause – garnered strong support from Jewish voters.

His platform focused on affordability and social equity. He pledged to freeze rent increases on rent-stabilized apartments, provide fast and free bus service, create city-run grocery stores in every borough, and expand free childcare programs.

He also proposed building 200,000 new affordable housing units, raising the minimum wage, and establishing a “community safety department” to handle mental health and nonviolent emergencies without police intervention.

To fund these programs, Mamdani advocated raising taxes on corporations and the city’s wealthiest 1% – a plan that would require approval from state lawmakers and likely face opposition.

Governor Kathy Hochul, who endorsed Mamdani but opposes new taxes, has already warned that such measures would be “a nonstarter.”

Beyond local reform, Mamdani has also drawn national attention for his outspoken views on international affairs. A longtime advocate for Palestinian rights, he has sharply criticized Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 70,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

He has said that, as mayor, he would uphold international law by enforcing the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – a statement that drew fierce criticism from political opponents and Jewish groups, though many Jewish voters ultimately supported him.

Mamdani has rejected accusations of antisemitism, calling them an attempt to silence legitimate criticism of Israeli policy.

- Shifting tides in the Democratic Party

Mamdani’s win represents a seismic shift within New York’s Democratic Party. He was backed by key figures including Senators Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries – endorsements that reflected both his growing political influence and the party’s internal recalibration toward its progressive base.

For the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which powered Mamdani’s campaign, the victory cements a new era of left-wing clout in city politics, echoing the rise of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018.

Yet Mamdani has also shown pragmatism, diverging from some DSA positions such as defunding the police or halting misdemeanor prosecutions.

Even his Republican opponent, Sliwa, offered a grudging endorsement on election night. “We have a mayor-elect. Obviously, I wish him good luck because if he does well, we do well,” said Sliwa. “But if you try to implement socialism, if you try to render our police weak and impotent, if you forsake the people’s public safety … we will become the mayor-elect’s worst enemies.”

For now, Mamdani inherits a city of sharp contrasts – one recovering from economic strain, rising rents, and deep political polarization. His victory speech closed on a note of inclusion and moral clarity.

“No longer will we allow a politics in this city that seeks to discard those that they deem to be disposable,” he said.

“We are not just saying goodbye to a disgraced former governor tonight. We are saying goodbye to the politics of that disgrace,” he added, taking a swipe at Cuomo’s scandal-ridden exit from office after accusations of sexual harassment.

“And our answer to that is a vision of a city where all of us belong,” he added. “All of us.”