Andrew Cuomo, despite President Trump’s endorsement, is trailing Zohran Mamdani in early projections.
Progressive Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is anticipated to secure the mayoralty of New York City, based on projections from CNN and NBC News.
Following the closure of polls in New York, early results indicate the 33-year-old Uganda-born assembly member is ahead of his contender, Andrew Cuomo, by 50% to 41%. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa has garnered slightly over 7% of the vote.
Tuesday’s election saw over two million ballots cast, marking the highest voter turnout for a New York mayoral contest since 1969, as reported by the city’s Board of Elections.
Mamdani’s ascendance has ignited controversy across the political divide. While he galvanizes younger and progressive constituents with proposals like housing affordability and wealth taxation, he faces intense disapproval from moderates and Republicans, who have branded him a “communist” due to his democratic socialist ideology.
In a striking move, Donald Trump openly backed Andrew Cuomo—a former New York governor and independent contender who was defeated by Mamdani in the Democratic primary. Trump additionally warned of cutting federal funding to the city should Mamdani emerge victorious.
“Should ‘Communist Candidate’ Zohran Mamdani prevail in the New York City mayoral election, it is highly improbable that I will allocate federal funds… beyond the absolute minimum statutory requirement,” Trump stated on the eve of the balloting.