Zohran Mamdani declares victory in NYC Democratic mayoral primary

New York State assemblyman and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani declared victory in a speech as he is poised to win the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, with his top challenger Andrew Cuomo conceding the race. 

According to CNN's projection, Mamdani, whose campaign focused on affordability, will garner less than 50% of the vote, meaning the race will formally be decided by ranked-choice votes.

An election night stunner in the Democratic primary for mayor wasn't a nail-biter win for Zohran Mamdani, but an apparent decisive victory that shattered any ranked-choice dreams for his challengers.

His campaign targeted and attracted young voters unfazed by the 33-year-old's thin resume and lack of political, governmental and administrative experience.

The Queens assemblyman spoke exclusively with Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter on Wednesday afternoon,.

"It is my belief that every New Yorker should have what they need to live a dignified life. It shouldn't be something that they can be priced out of. And that's why, at the heart of our campaign is this focus on freezing the rent for more than 2 million rent-stabilized tenants, making the slowest busses in the country fast," he said.

Mamdani, who would be the city's first Muslim mayor and its youngest mayor in a century if elected, faced skepticism over the feasibility of some of his proposals and backlash over some of his comments on Israel.

A socialist mayor is cause for concern, said Kathryn Wylde of the Partnership for New York City.

She said the prospect is terrifying to the business community, and Mamdani will need to broaden his base to win in November and to govern, if he does.

"The problem is, when the solution is spending more government money, that means raising taxes. And that means prices go up, rents go up. There's no magic bullet here," Wylde said.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in conceding defeat, congratulated and even applauded Mamdani for organizing an impactful campaign that inspired supporters to come out and vote on a scorching day that nearly reached 100 degrees.

Cuomo, the early front-runner in the race, conceded on Tuesday night, but he has not abandoned his bid to be New York City's 111th mayor. He could run as a third-party candidate in November.

"I want to give some thought about the best way to help the party, but most of all, the best way to help the city," Cuomo said.

Mayor Eric Adams is already running as an independent. He will formally announce his re-election campaign on Thursday on the steps of City Hall.

"He's a snake oil salesman. He will say and do anything to get elected. I am looking forward to being on the campaign trail and showing New Yorkers we can't go backwards," Adams said during an interview with Fox News on Wednesday.

Wylde said despite his challenges, it would be premature to count out Adams.

"I delivered for the city. We are not going backwards. We are not going back to a place where we want to defund the police, don't invest in jobs, where we believe we can make broken promises that we can't deliver," Adams said.

Mamdani countered:
"He has exacerbated a cost-of-living crisis. He raised the rent on more than 2 million New Yorkers by 9%. He increased water bills to the highest they've been in 13 years, and he sided with Con Edison when they wanted to increase gas and electric bills by $65 a month. This is someone who has put his thumb on the scale against working in middle-class New Yorkers. We need someone who will actually use every tool to provide relief to those same New Yorkers," Mamdani countered.

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."

President Trump took aim at Mamdani on social media, calling him "a 100% Communist Lunatic."

"We've had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous," the president wrote. "Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country."

Some Democrats think so, too.

Lawrence Summers, the Treasury Secretary under former Democratic President Barack Obama, aired dire concerns on social media.

"I am profoundly alarmed about the future of the (Democratic Party) and the country" because of the New York City results, Summers wrote.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who had endorsed Mamdani, scoffed at such Democratic critics and instead called for them to follow Mamdani's lead.

"In many ways, Mamdani's campaign really shows the direction in which the Democratic Party should be moving. And that is not to worry about what billionaires want, but to worry about what working-class people want," Sanders told The Associated Press.

The Vermont senator warned Republicans against premature celebration.

"People like Mamdani are their worst nightmares," Sanders said of the GOP. "It's one thing for the Democrats to be strongly against Donald Trump. It is another thing to give working class people something to vote for - a positive agenda."

Mamdani has had to sidestep a field of landmines of his own making, centered on his policies and political rhetoric.

He called the New York Police Department "racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety" in a 2020 social media post. As a mayoral candidate, he softened his stance and said that the police served a vital role. Still, he pushed for the creation of a new public safety department that would rely more on mental health care services and outreach workers.

On Israel's war in Gaza, he used the term "genocide" to describe Israel's actions in the conflict. In the primary's closing stretch, Mamdani also defended the phrase " globalize the intifada," which he described as "a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights."

He also faced criticism over his identity as a democratic socialist, a label he refused to back away from.

"I think of the words of Dr. King, who decades ago said, "call it democracy or call it democratic socialism." There must be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children in this country. And it gets to the heart of the matter, which is inequality, and my belief that every New Yorker should have what they need to live a dignified life," Mamdani told Bill Ritter. "It shouldn't be something that they can be priced out of. And that's why, at the heart of our campaign is this focus on freezing the rent for more than 2 million rent stabilized tenants, making the slowest buses in the country fast."

After keeping quiet on Mamdani throughout his primary campaign, three of New York's top Democrats, Gov. Kathy Hochul, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, praised the progressive upstart but stopped short of endorsing him after his victory seemed assured.

The Democratic leaders, largely considered moderates, applauded his focus on affordability and said they had spoken with him, although none explicitly said they would support him in the November general election.

Some information from ABC News and The Associated Press