Normally, New York City’s mayoral elections are predictable and, frankly, a little dull. But this time, a wave of possibilities, challenges, and uncertainty made democracy feel alive again. Today, that wave delivered a historic outcome.
Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim Democratic Socialist and member of the New York State Assembly, declared a groundbreaking victory in the Democratic Party primary after Andrew Cuomo, the former New York State Governor, conceded.
The race had shaped up to be a classic David and Goliath showdown. Cuomo, representing the conservative wing of the Democratic Party, was backed by the party’s old guard and the financial elite. In contrast, Mamdani emerged as the face of a rising progressive movement, fueled by grassroots organizing and a vision of transformative change.
The establishment’s machine was no match for the momentum behind Mamdani, who worked closely with Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The results, confirmed through New York City’s ranked-choice voting system, delivered a decisive blow to the Democratic establishment. Under this system, voters ranked up to five candidates in order of preference. If no candidate secured more than 50% of first-choice votes, the lowest-ranking candidates were eliminated in rounds, with votes redistributed until a majority emerged. The ranked-choice format played a critical role in Mamdani’s victory, allowing progressive coalitions to consolidate across multiple rounds.
Cuomo’s campaign had pulled out all the stops. Fearing a Bernie Sanders-inspired political wave, the Democratic Party establishment rallied behind Cuomo, aligning with powerful donors, political heavyweights like Bill Clinton and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and securing endorsements from The New York Times and other mainstream outlets. A Super PAC called Fix the City poured over $16 million into advertisements, while corporate giants like DoorDash contributed millions more. Despite presenting himself as a candidate for working New Yorkers, Cuomo’s campaign was undeniably backed by billionaires and corporate interests.
But the establishment’s machine was no match for the momentum behind Mamdani, who worked closely with Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Their progressive political movement, deeply rooted in democratic socialism, has been steadily gaining ground—election after election, neighborhood by neighborhood—through tireless grassroots organizing, door-to-door campaigning, and small-dollar donations.
“This is a victory for every New Yorker who has been told they don’t have a voice,” Mamdani said in his victory speech. “It’s proof that organized people can beat organized money.”
Mamdani’s win signals a seismic shift in the balance of power between entrenched political institutions and a new generation demanding change. The sheer scale of resources the establishment mobilized—and still fell short—reveals the depth of their fear of losing control over the city’s financial and political machinery.
New York City, and perhaps the nation, is at a turning point. The world is shifting—locally and globally—at every level.
This article was first published on Pressenza.
