Overview
- Mamdani clinched the mayoralty over Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa in a high‑turnout election, becoming New York City’s first Muslim mayor and, at 34, its youngest in more than a century.
- He entered his victory speech to Ja Rule’s “New York,” a pointed cultural note given his ongoing public feud with longtime Ja Rule rival 50 Cent.
- 50 Cent escalated his criticism after the result, posting that “New York is over” and sharing an image reading “R.I.P. NYC,” while also mocking the Ja Rule walkout choice.
- On MSNBC’s The Beat, Mamdani defended a 2% surcharge on residents earning over $1 million and higher corporate taxes as funding for city services and broader affordability programs.
- Addressing public safety, he reiterated he does not seek to abolish the NYPD, proposing a Department of Community Safety and expansion of the B‑HEARD responder program for non‑criminal emergencies.