Zohran Mamdani Wins New York City Mayor’s Race, Becoming First Muslim to Hold Office

The old guard has fallen. The political machine that defined New York politics for a generation has been decisively broken. In a stunning and historic election with the highest voter turnout in decades, the “capital of capitalism” has been handed over to a new, radical, and profoundly different kind of leader.

Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist and state assemblyman, has won the race for mayor of New York City. His victory is a political earthquake, making him the first Muslim to ever hold the office and its youngest leader in more than a century.

His win is the culmination of a grassroots movement that first toppled former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary and then defeated him again in the general election.

How Did This Upset Even Happen?