Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim democratic socialist and New York State Assemblyman, has clinched the top spot in the Democratic primary, leading with 43.5% of first-choice votes, ahead of former governor Andrew Cuomo at 36.4%, and Comptroller Brad Lander at **11.3%** .
Cuomo has conceded, acknowledging Mamdani’s win in the first-round lead, although additional tabulations from ranked-choice voting are still ongoing .
Democrats see Mamdani’s success as a progressive breakthrough. He ran a grassroots, cost‑of‑living‑centered campaign—focusing on housing, childcare, transportation, and free city services—with high-profile endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
His message clearly resonated citywide, cutting through traditional political power bases and mobilizing first-time voters, as well as communities in boroughs previously swinging conservative .
Should he carry the momentum through July's ranked‑choice rounds, Mamdani is expected to be the Democratic nominee and will head into the November general election facing incumbent Eric Adams (running as an independent), Republican Curtis Sliwa, and possibly Cuomo on a third-party line .
If Mamdani wins in November, he would become New York City's first Muslim mayor, first Asian mayor, first millennial mayor, and the first DSA-affiliated leader since David Dinkins in 1993 .