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Zohran stuns Cuomo in New York democratic mayoral primary race as ex-governor concedes
With 90 percent of the votes in, Mamdani is in the lead with 43.5 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, former governor Andrew Cuomo trailed behind at 36.3 percent.
Democratic socialist and assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has taken the lead in the NYC mayoral primary race for the Democratic party. Mamdani, who has already ecieved over 40 percent of the vote, was named the leading candidate after former governor Andrew Cumo conceded.
The final result of the primary poll will be announced next week on July 1. Cuomo, who was trailing and recovering from the backlash of a sexual harassment case, conceded as the primary race headed for a ranked-choice voting as no candidate secured a majority of votes.
Also Read: ‘Tonight is his night’: Andrew Cuomo concedes defeat to Zohran Mamdani in NYC mayoral primary
With 90 percent of the votes in, Mamdani is in the lead with 43.5 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, former governor Andrew Cuomo trailed behind at 36.3 percent.
Mamdani, who went viral on social media for his multi-ethnic and multi-generational campaign, is likely to be named the candidate. However, due to the ranked-choice count, it remains unclear if Zohran's lead will hold.
The 33-year-old was an unknown state legislator but transformed himself into a household name due to his sharp campaign focusing on New York's high cost of living. Mamdani was also endorsed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders.
What is New York's ranked choice voting system?
For the primary race, New Yorkers are required to list five candidates, from one to five, based on their preference. Based on this, if a candidate is the first choice of a majority of voters, the leading candidate wins the race.
However, since no candidate reached the majority mark, the final tabulation of votes will now be held on July 1. Based on the count available to us, the primary race remains a tight contest between Mamdani and Cuomo.
This count will determine which Democratic party candidate will face incumbent mayor Eric Adams in the mayoral poll in November 2025.
Along with Adams, Republican Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, will also be on the ballot. However, reports have stated that Cuomo may choose to run as an independent candidate if he loses the primary vote, hence, increasing his chances of being on the ballot for the mayoral election.
