New York Mayor: Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani wins New York City election

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani has won the race for New York Mayor, becoming the first Muslim to do so.

Decision Desk HQ made the call less than an hour after polls closed.

Mamdani won the Democratic primary earlier in 2025 was facing off against former governor Andrew Cuomo, who was running as an independent, and perennial Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who was trying to land a massive upset.

At 34, Mamdani will be the city’s youngest mayor in over a century after campaigning on cost of living issues affecting New Yorkers.

When he takes office on January 1, he will have to navigate the demands of America’s biggest city and deliver on ambitious, sceptics say unrealistic, campaign promises.

He has proposed raising taxes on the richest New Yorkers and using the money to make city buses free and provide free, universal child care. He has also promised to freeze rent for people living in about one million rent-regulated apartments.

The result will not please US President Donald Trump or his fellow Republicans who have cast Mr Mamdani as the face of a new, more radical Democratic Party.

Mr Trump, who endorsed Mr Cuomo on the eve of the election, by-passing the Republican candidate, has also threatened to take over the city if Mr Mamdani wins, as well as arrest and deport the state assembly member, who was born in Uganda but is a US citizen.

Mr Trump responded to a number of Democratic wins on election night, posting an all-caps rant on his Truth Social platform, blaming the fact he wasn’t on the ballot and the US Government shutdown for the defeat of Republican candidates.

Shortly after the race was called, Mamdani posted a video on X of a subway train pulling up to City Hall station, with the audio “The next and last stop is: City Hall”.

— with AP