Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral election to become the 111th mayor of New York City. He will be the first Muslim American New York City mayor, and the youngest candidate to win in over a century. 

The Associated Press called the election just over 30 minutes after the polls closed on Tuesday night, Nov. 4. 

Mamdani will be officially inaugurated as mayor on Jan. 1, 2026, with the public ceremony taking place on Jan. 2, 2026, at City Hall. 

Mamdani built his campaign from the ground up through grassroots organizing and voter mobilization.

Mamdani’s vision for New York City’s future focuses on making the city more affordable through policies like rent freezes on rent-stabilized apartments and building 200,000 new affordable housing units. Some of his other policies include fare free buses, no cost childcare and city-owned grocery stores. He was polling as the frontrunner in the weeks leading up to the election.  

Mamdani was endorsed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, among other prominent figures. 

Mamdani built his campaign from the ground up through grassroots organizing and voter mobilization. An Emerson College poll in February showed him at 1% compared to former New York governor and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo’s 33%. A number of polls before the election opened placed Mamdani around 44%. 

“New York: Tonight you have delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city we can afford and a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.” Zohran Mamdani, Mayor-Elect

Both Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate, delivered concession speeches.

Mamdani launched an extensive social media campaign that appealed to young voters and social media algorithms through short viral videos.

His acceptance speech highlighted working class New Yorkers and other groups who he said often go underrepresented in politics. 

“New York: Tonight you have delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city we can afford and a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that,” Mamdani said. 

“We have held our breath for longer than we know.  We have held it in anticipation of defeat, held it because the air has been knocked out of our lungs too many times to count, held it because we cannot afford to exhale.” Zohran Mamdani

Mamdani thanked his supporters: his campaign staff, campaign volunteers, parents and wife, Rama Duwaji, for all their help. 

“I have one final request: New York City, breathe this moment in. We have held our breath for longer than we know. We have held it in anticipation of defeat, held it because the air has been knocked out of our lungs too many times to count, held it because we cannot afford to exhale. Thanks to all of those who sacrificed so much, we are breathing in the air of a city that has been reborn.”

Lorenzo Camilli, president of the Fordham College Republicans and Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’26, expressed his disappointment about the night’s results. 

“Disaster has struck. New York has fallen. We allowed this to happen in the city,” Camilli said. “We definitely did not expect our candidate Curtis to receive less than 8% of the vote, he was polling at around 16%. … It was a resounding loss all throughout every election today: Virginia, New Jersey, New York City, the districts. … It’s not a great moment for the Republican party right now, but we’re going to have to recalibrate, find out what went wrong, what we can improve and go from there.” 

Caroline Lehman, president of the Fordham College Democrats and FCRH ’26, shared a different perspective. 

“I would say we’re elated. Not just by the Mamdani win, but by the wins across the country in these off year elections during the first year of the Trump administration when people are really hurting. I think it also sends a signal that Democrats and especially young people are tired of the establishment that hasn’t been effective against Trump thus far! Of course elections aren’t everything and we should still keep our politicians accountable but I think this is also just so refreshing and a sign of hope in what’s otherwise a really dark time for a lot of Americans,” Lehman said. 

The Young Democratic Socialists of America’s chapter at Fordham, an unofficial student club, delivered a statement to the Observer on their reaction to Mamdani’s election. 

“With this race, the people of New York City have ushered in a new era of socialist goals … New York City is not for bureaucrats and careerists, but for all New Yorkers. That is the coalition that Zohran has built … The Young Democratic Socialists of America are incredibly proud to have been a part of this historic campaign. (Democratic Socialists of America) has been at the forefront of Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy since day one. … This victory brings much-needed hope and light to times that seem overwhelmed by hatred and darkness,” the statement said. 

“I think it also sends a signal that Democrats and especially young people are tired of the establishment that hasn’t been effective against Trump thus far!” Caroline Lehman, President of the Fordham College Democrats and FCRH ’26

This election has also received national attention. On Nov. 3, Trump posted a Truth Social post that said, “If Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the Election for Mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required,” among a slew of other comments. 

Critics of Mamdani have also pointed to his relative inexperience — as he has not served as an executive official — and questions over the feasibility of his policies. 

Ballots were open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 4 — Election Day. Voting registration closed on Oct. 25, and early voting ended on Nov. 2. 

Voters cast a record-high 735,000 early ballots, many of which were from New Yorkers of a younger demographic.

This year saw the largest voter turnout for a New York City mayoral election since 1969, with over two million voters compared to the 2021 election’s 1.15 million. Voters cast a record-high 735,000 early ballots, many of which were from New Yorkers of a younger demographic. University students could register to vote in this election as long as they were not also registered in their home states.

Two mayoral debates were hosted leading up to the election, the first on Oct. 16 and the second on Oct. 23, with all three candidates present for both.

Alongside the mayoral election, Jumaane Williams was elected as the new public advocate and Mark D. Levine as comptroller. 

Outside New York, Mikie Sherrill was elected as New Jersey’s governor and Abigail Spanberger as Virginia’s governor. Both are women and Democratic candidates. In California, Proposition 50, a redistricting proposal that aims to boost Democratic voter representation, passed.

New York City voters, and Americans nationwide, await what a Mamdani-led New York City will look like.