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NYC mayor election exit poll: Who won the election? Did Zohran Mamdani beat Andrew Cuomo?
NYC Mayor Election update: As voting closed in New York City on Tuesday, Decision Desk HQ's exit poll showed that Zohran Mamdani is set to win.
NYC Mayor Election update: As voting closed in New York City on Tuesday, Decision Desk HQ's exit poll showed that Zohran Mamdani is projected to beat Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa. Voters came out in huge numbers Tuesday. According to the city's Board of Elections, more than 2 million voters cast ballots — the first time that has happened in a New York mayoral race since 1969.
If Zohran Mamdani emerges victorious, the city would see its first Muslim mayor and its youngest leader in generations. His win would also propel the democratic socialist into the national spotlight, cementing his brand of economic populism as a major force in American politics.
Andrew Cuomo, meanwhile, is chasing redemption. Four years after stepping down as governor amid multiple sexual harassment allegations, a victory would signal a stunning political comeback and a return to power for one of New York’s most seasoned, and polarizing, figures.
Then there’s Curtis Sliwa, the outspoken founder of the Guardian Angels crime patrol. His candidacy offers New Yorkers a stark contrast: a Republican with deep tabloid roots who promises to restore order and stand firm against what he calls President Donald Trump’s “federal overreach.”
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Both Mamdani and Cuomo cast their ballots Tuesday morning, Mamdani in Queens, Cuomo in Manhattan, while Sliwa had already voted early. The campaign’s intensity has turned Mamdani into a lightning rod, drawing attacks from Trump and other Republicans who have labeled him a symbol of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing.
Trump, who has made Mamdani a frequent target, has gone so far as to threaten to “take control” of the city should the Ugandan-born US citizen win - even suggesting that Mamdani could face arrest or deportation.
In a surprising twist, Trump issued a last-minute endorsement for Cuomo on the eve of the election, calling Mamdani a “disaster in waiting” and urging Sliwa supporters to rally behind the former governor.
(With AP inputs)
