Former governor Andrew Cuomo is losing to Zohran Mamdani, despite endorsement from President Trump
Progressive Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is projected to win the mayoralty of New York City, according to estimates from CNN and NBC News.
Polls have closed in New York, with the 33-year-old Uganda-born assembly member leading his rival, Andrew Cuomo, 50% to 41% in early results. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa is receiving just over 7%.
More than two million voters cast their ballots in Tuesday’s election – the highest turnout for a New York mayoral race since 1969, according to the city’s Board of Elections.
Mamdani’s rise has become a lightning rod across the political spectrum. On one side, he energizes younger and progressive voters by running on platforms such as housing affordability and wealth taxation. On the other, he is sharply criticized by moderates and Republicans who have labeled him a “communist” for his democratic socialist views.
In a bold intervention, Donald Trump publicly endorsed Andrew Cuomo – a former New York governor and independent candidate who lost the Democratic primary to Mamdani. Trump also threatened to withhold federal funds from the city if Mamdani wins.
“If Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the election for mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing federal funds … other than the very minimum as required,” Trump declared on the eve of the vote.
