University of Kwazulu-Natal

5 Takeaways Behind Mamdani S Historic Nyc Win Newsbreak

Bonisiwe Shabane
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5 takeaways behind mamdani s historic nyc win newsbreak

POLITICO is the dominant source for politics and policy news around the world. Nobody knows politics like POLITICO. NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani shocked the nation Tuesday by besting Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor. Behind the 33-year-old’s historic win were several feats that surprised even the most veteran political observers and upended the traditional way they conceptualize local elections. Mamdani was able to tap into an excited, relatively young base as expected; he also expanded the electorate beyond expectations while competing with Cuomo in areas where the former governor seemed poised to dominate. “[Mamdani] ran a smart race,” said Basil Smikle Jr., who previously ran the state Democratic Party.

“He represents the next generation of Democratic politics.” Here are five takeaways from the first round of ranked-choice voting: 1. Mamdani activated his base more effectively than Cuomo. The young state lawmaker gained a fervent following through his social media posts, populist policies and ground game that drew his core constituency — affluent, highly educated white voters in Brooklyn and Queens —... Cuomo, meanwhile, won over his base of Black voters, per an interactive map from The New York Times, but they did not turn out enough to maintain a similar share of the overall vote...

In a remarkable upset, progressive State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. Early polls showed Mamdani starting his campaign with around 1% support. Just six weeks before the June 24 election, his support was only at 11%, while Cuomo led with 49%. Three separate polls, conducted by Yale/YouGov, Marist College, and the Manhattan Institute within two weeks of the election, still showed Cuomo ahead by 12 points or more. Mamdani won the primary as the clear leader with 56% of the votes, totaling 545,334 votes. His campaign claimed that this was “the most votes any Democratic primary candidate has received in 36 years.” Cuomo received 44%, or 428,530 votes.

Although NYC is the largest city in the U.S., this election was not on a national stage. Jared Leopold, a Democratic strategist, summarized it well: “Communicating in a Democratic primary in New York City is very different from communicating in a swing district in Iowa.” For example, the white population makes... Nevertheless, a quick look at his initial support and his victory sharply contrasts with Vice President Kamala Harris’s initial support and loss. In roughly the same amount of time before Election Day for both Harris and Mamdani, Harris was 2% behind Donald Trump according to a New York Times/Siena College poll, and Mamdani was 38% behind... Mamdani won despite performing poorly with low-income voters, losing the majority of Black voters and criticizing Israel while showing sympathy for the Gaza Palestinians. All three conditions should have led to a Democratic candidate losing.

Zohran Mamdani stunned political observers across the country Tuesday as he appeared set to win the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. While a winner hasn’t been officially declared due to the city’s ranked choice ballot system, Cuomo didn’t wait for the entire vote to be tabulated to concede. Less than two hours after the polls closed, he told his supporters that “tonight was Assemblyman Mamdani’s night,” underscoring a seismic shift in American politics. Mamdani made gains on Cuomo in recent weeks but still trailed in most polling against the former New York governor, who instantly entered the race in March as the clear favorite. But Mamdani rose rapidly as the primary approached.

Here are five takeaways from the night’s results: Mamdani’s rise is one of the most stunning in recent memory. NEW YORK CITY—Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described socialist, won the Democratic Primary contest for the 2025 New York City mayoral election, defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Even in a ranked-choice voting system, Mamdani’s lead in the first round of tallying—43.5 percent to Cuomo’s 36.3 percent—was so large that Cuomo immediately conceded. NEW YORK − Some point to his viral social media clips.

Others cite his Obama-esque profile, giving young voters something to believe in. Maybe it’s just his dimples. Zohran Mamdani shocked the political and business establishment by winning the Nov. 4 New York City mayoral election as a democratic socialist, leading many to wonder how it happened. In interviews with allies, strategists and observers, Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblyman from Queens, ran a disciplined campaign across all five boroughs, flanked by an unusually large army of volunteers for a municipal race. His winning message offered easily understood ideas for cutting the cost of living in the notoriously expensive city and his universal outreach helped win over skeptical constituencies.

It's a dramatic shift from moderate Mayor Eric Adams, who won just four years ago, and a flashback to Adams' progressive predecessor, Bill de Blasio, who ran on addressing economic inequality.

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