US media project Democrat Zohran Mamdani to win race for New York City mayor

Multiple U.S. media outlets projected Tuesday night that Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani will win the New York City mayoral election, and become the first Muslim mayor of the most populous city in the United States.

By 10:45 p.m. Eastern Time Tuesday (0345 GMT Wednesday), Mamdani had seized around 50.4 percent of the votes, while former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, collected 41.6 percent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa garnered only 7.1 percent, according to media estimates.

Mamdani, born in Uganda, currently serves as a member of the New York State Assembly and is set to take office on Jan. 1, 2026.

The 34-year-old young man, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, ran a campaign focused on making New York City more affordable, energizing tens of thousands of young voters in the process.

His campaign platform includes freezing the rent for all stabilized tenants, providing free buses and childcare services, increasing publicly subsidized housing, and raising taxes on the wealthiest and corporations.

In June, Mamdani stunned the nation by defeating Cuomo, a three-term governor, in the Democratic primary, generating national buzz.