Late Tuesday night, it became clear that democratic socialist and state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani would win New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary election.
This year’s election made our collective foreheads sweat, not just from the 100-degree heat wave that’s been blasting the city, but also because Mamdani’s biggest obstacle in the race was former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in August 2021 after Attorney General Letitia James released a report that found he sexually assaulted nearly a dozen women.
This election cycle, Cuomo was a frontrunner with high-profile endorsements like former president Bill Clinton and a $25 million super PAC (the largest-ever created for a New York City mayoral election).
Yet, Mamdani — who mobilized a grassroots campaign, ran on an affordability platform and was backed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — led with 43.5% of the votes compared to Cuomo’s 36.4% with 93% of the votes counted, leading to Cuomo’s concession Tuesday night.
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Mamdani’s victory has been deemed a “political upset” for establishment Democrats who alienated their voter base by resisting what many believe is necessary change. But to young people and to New Yorkers who have been plagued by rising costs and leadership they can’t relate to, Mamdani’s win is a breath of fresh air.
In November, Mamdani will face off against candidates that include incumbent mayor Eric Adams, New York City’s first sitting mayor to be indicted on criminal charges who is running as an independent, and potentially Cuomo again, if he decides to run as an independent.
As a South Asian living in New York City myself, I’m particularly excited at the possibility of this city getting its first South Asian and Muslim mayor — and so are others. Perhaps the most telling sign of Mamdani’s efforts is how intentionally online his campaign has been. From walking the length of Manhattan taking selfies with voters to partnering with content creators to lay out his platform, he’s been speaking directly to people who want to finally be seen.
And just as notably, his young supporters, exhausted from corruption and old faces, have enthusiastically celebrated his win online. Here are some of my favorite social media reactions to the results Tuesday night.
Some posts have been incredibly heartwarming.
Others have been a touch spicy.
The vibes have gone global.
And there are so many elements of Mamdani’s presence worth acknowledging.
All in all, a large swath of New Yorkers are being vocal about the change they crave and expressing gratitude for a candidate they can actually get behind.