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Mamdani Wins New York City Mayor as Democrats Score Key Election-Day Gains

Attention now turns to whether the 34-year-old mayor-elect can turn a progressive affordability agenda into workable policy.

Overview

  • Zohran Mamdani captured just over 50% of the vote to become New York City's first Muslim and first socialist mayor, defeating Andrew Cuomo, as Republican Curtis Sliwa finished in single digits.
  • Democrats also won governorships in New Jersey and Virginia, with Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger taking 57% and 56% respectively, marking the first women elected governor in both states and flipping Virginia from Republican control.
  • California voters approved Proposition 50 to redraw U.S. House districts in a way favorable to Democrats, a move celebrated by Governor Gavin Newsom and denounced by President Donald Trump as unconstitutional, with promises of legal scrutiny of mail-in ballots.
  • More than two million New Yorkers voted in the mayoral race, the highest turnout for a city contest since 1969, reflecting strong energy among younger and progressive voters.
  • Mamdani campaigned on free buses, municipal supermarkets, rent limits and higher taxes on the wealthy, while critics highlight his limited administrative experience as he assembles a governing team and faces Trump’s threats to curb federal funds to the city.