Zohran Mamdani Elected NYC Mayor: First Muslim, Youngest in Century

Zohran Mamdani won New York City’s mayoral election on November 5, 2025, making history as the first Muslim mayor, the first person of South Asian descent, and at age 34, the youngest mayor in over a century. With nearly 90% of votes counted, Mamdani secured 50.4% of the vote, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo (running as an Independent) who received 41.6%, and Republican Curtis Sliwa with 7.1%. The Associated Press called the race at 9:34 PM ET, less than 40 minutes after polls closed.

Voter turnout exceeded 2 million for the first time since 1969, marking the highest participation in a NYC mayoral election in over 50 years. Early voting alone reached record levels with 735,317 ballots cast—more than five times the 2021 figure. Mamdani, a Democratic socialist and state assemblymember from Queens, won the Democratic primary by 12 percentage points before securing the general election. His campaign focused heavily on affordability, housing, and progressive policy goals, energizing young and first-time voters.

Mamdani’s victory represents a significant generational shift within the Democratic Party and a historic milestone for Muslim American political representation. He is scheduled to succeed Democratic incumbent Eric Adams on January 1, 2026. His election as the first Muslim mayor of America’s largest city came during a period when Muslim Americans faced increased discrimination and political targeting under the Trump administration, making the symbolic significance particularly powerful. The overwhelming turnout and decisive margin demonstrated strong public appetite for progressive leadership focused on addressing economic inequality and housing affordability in the nation’s most expensive city.