Cuomo concedes to Zohran Mamdani in New York City mayoral primary

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In an upset, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani will be the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, defeating candidates including Andrew Cuomo, who was seeking a political comeback nearly four years after he resigned as governor of New York amid sexual misconduct allegations. 

Cuomo conceded the race Tuesday night, before the final results of ranked-choice voting were clear.

“Tonight was not our night,” Cuomo told a crowd of supporters. “Tonight was Assemblyman Mamdani’s night. He put together a great campaign, and he touched young people and inspired them and got them to come out and vote. And he really ran a highly impactful campaign. I called him, I congratulated him, I applaud him sincerely for his effort.” 

Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described Democratic socialist, ran a campaign centered on making New York City more affordable. He proposed offering free universal child care, creating city-run grocery stores, rolling out free bus service and freezing rents on rent-stabilized units.   

One year ago, Republican primary voters renominated President Donald Trump, who was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming the writer and advice columnist E. Jean Carroll between his first term and his return to office in January. Trump’s reelection was seen as marking a political and cultural backlash to the #MeToo movement. 

But in New York, Democratic voters rejected a former governor who left office following a bombshell 165-page report overseen by the New York attorney general’s office that found he had sexually harassed 11 women, including some state employees. 

Those findings were echoed by similar investigations conducted by the Department of Justice and the New York State Assembly. At the time, Cuomo apologized while denying the most serious allegations against him. In the years since, Cuomo and his allies have cast doubt on his accusers’ credibility and painted him as the victim of politically motivated investigations. 

While New York City is overwhelmingly Democratic, Mamdani isn’t guaranteed a victory in the general election in November. Mayor Eric Adams, the embattled incumbent, is running as an independent. Cuomo also has indicated he could run as an independent on a “Fight and Deliver” ballot line. Unlike the primary, the general election won’t be held with ranked-choice voting, under which voters can rank up to five candidates in order of preference. If no candidates reach a majority on the first round of ranked-choice voting, votes are redistributed until a candidate gets to above 50 percent. 

If elected, Mamdani would be the city’s first South Asian and Muslim mayor. 

Cuomo came into the race leading with name recognition and with allies pouring millions of dollars into an allied super PAC. Mamdani, by contrast, built up an energized and passionate grassroots of volunteers. In a crowded field, ranked-choice voting also lent itself to coalition building — Mamdani cross-endorsed fellow progressives Michael Blake and Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller. 

Issues like public safety and affordability, and not Cuomo’s scandals, took center stage in the mayoral campaign. But Mamdani still hammered Cuomo on his record in response to Cuomo criticizing him as inexperienced. 

“Mr. Cuomo, I have never had to resign in disgrace,” Mamdani said in a June 12 mayoral debate. “I have never cut Medicaid. I have never stolen millions of dollars from the MTA. I have never hounded the 13 women who credibly accused me of sexual harassment. I have never sued for their gynecological records. And I have never done those things because I am not you, Mr. Cuomo.”