A young, formerly unknown democratic socialist won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, making him the frontrunner to be its next leader.
Zohran Mamdani focused relentlessly on affordability while young voters rallied around his cheerful vibe and pro-Palestinian politics. His veteran opponent Andrew Cuomo accused him of anti-Semitism — the city has more Jews than anywhere outside Israel — but conceded after what The New York Times called a “joyless” campaign.
The result showed that Democrats appeared ready “to throw off old leaders,” as Semafor’s David Weigel put it. With New York’s mayor running a budget comparable to that of a medium-sized country, Mamdani’s victory makes him “the great new bogeyman” for the Republican party, New York Magazine reported.