NEW YORK CITY—Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old New York state assemblyman, has claimed victory in the first round of the Democratic primary contest for mayor of the city of New York in the 2025 election, while former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) has conceded—a stunning upset victory.
Mamdani, an Indian-Ugandan immigrant who became a U.S. citizen in 2018, earned 43.5 percent of the first-preference vote. He took office as a New York state assemblyman in 2021, representing the 36th District that covers the Queens neighborhoods of Astoria.
Cuomo, who served as governor from 2011 until his resignation in 2021—due to an impeachment process following allegations of sexual misconduct he had denied—was long the frontrunner in the race, until Mamdani closed the polling gap in weeks. Cuomo won only 36.4 percent—a setback making it unlikely for him to gain the 50 percent necessary in subsequent rounds—and conceded the race on election night....
