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Zohran Mamdani's historic win draws applause from all corners
At Zohran Mamdani’s jubilant election-night watch party in Brooklyn’s Paramount Theater, supporters erupted in cheers as results rolled in.
The election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City's next mayor, the city’s first Muslim mayor and youngest leader in more than a century, has drawn a flurry of reactions across the political landscape.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist and state assembly member, defeated independent candidate and former governor Andrew Cuomo, as projected by the Associated Press late Tuesday. His grassroots campaign, centered on affordability, housing, and public transit, galvanized younger and working-class voters across the five boroughs.
Celebrations all around
At Mamdani’s jubilant election-night watch party in Brooklyn’s Paramount Theater, supporters erupted in cheers as results rolled in. US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined the crowd of young and diverse backers, calling the victory “a win for working-class New Yorkers.”
Progressive leaders hailed the outcome as a generational shift. Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, called it “a turning point for the Democratic Party.”
“Mamdani’s victory should put every single entrenched, corporate Democrat on notice,” Rojas said. “If you’re not serving everyday people, your time in office is limited.”
Online, Mamdani’s own campaign marked the moment with a subway-themed video featuring the message: “The next and last stop is City Hall.”
Despite early reluctance from party elites, establishment Democrats were quick to offer congratulations.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who withheld endorsement during the primary, said she looked forward to working with Mamdani to make the city “more affordable and livable.”
Attorney General Letitia James praised the victory as “historic,” while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the high voter turnout “a win for democracy” and lauded Mamdani’s “inspiring campaign.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the results marked “a repudiation of the Trump agenda,” pointing to Democratic wins across the country.
“This was a good night for Democrats and our fight to lower costs, improve health care, and build a better future for American families,” Schumer said.
Conservatives condemn ‘radical shift’
Republican leaders, however, blasted the outcome. US House Speaker Mike Johnson said Mamdani’s victory showed Democrats had “chosen a true extremist and Marxist.”
“Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s extreme agenda is the future of the Democrat Party — but we will never allow it to be the future of America,” Johnson wrote on X.
The New York Post took aim with a front-page headline reading, “The Яed Apple: Socialist Mamdani wins race for mayor,” mocking his left-wing platform.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who finished third, warned his supporters he would “mobilize” if Mamdani attempted to “implement socialism” or “weaken the police.”
