Zohran Mamdani Wins NYC Mayoral Primary Upset

Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Democratic socialist and Queens state assemblyman, has won New York City's Democratic mayoral primary, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a major upset. His grassroots campaign energized immigrant and working-class communities, and his platform includes rent freezes, free bus service, universal childcare, and city-run grocery stores. Mamdani's victory positions him as a leading contender to become the city's first Muslim mayor and marks a significant shift in the city's political landscape. The campaign's creative outreach using Bollywood themes resonated with South Asian voters, and Mamdani has pledged to address rising Islamophobia and antisemitism. He now advances to a challenging general election against incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa, with possible independent candidates still in the mix. The result is seen as a rebuke to centrist Democratic politics and a signal of changing priorities among New Yorkers.