Socialist Zohran Mamdani became the mayor-elect of New York City on November 4, winning with just over 50% of the vote (at the time of this writing, 93% of votes have been counted). Former governor Andrew Cuomo, who had already lost to Mamdani in the June Democratic Party primary, received 41.6% of the vote. Republican Party candidate Curtis Sliwa received just over 7% of the vote. Mamdani’s win was called by the Associated Press less than an hour after polls closed in New York City on November 4.

Thanking billionaire ex-mayor and campaign donor Michael Bloomberg, disgraced former governor Andrew Cuomo conceded defeat to upstart socialist Zohran Mamdani.

“This campaign was to contest the philosophies that are shaping the Democratic Party, the future of this city, and the future of this country,” Cuomo outlined at his election-night party in Midtown Manhattan. Cuomo warned that “we are heading down a dangerous, dangerous road,” preaching against divisiveness, despite being attacked by progressives for running racist advertisements against his opponent.

“Congratulations to Zohran Mandami,” Cuomo said, in his characteristic mispronunciation of the mayor-elect’s name.

In Mamdani’s own victory speech, the socialist mayor-elect was not shy to call out Cuomo directly. “I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life. But let tonight be the final time I utter his name, as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few,” Mamdani said, addressing the crowd at his watch party at the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre in downtown Brooklyn.

Mamdani also addressed Trump in his speech: “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.”

Right-wing racism in full swing

Reactions from notorious right-wing figures poured in immediately. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, a conservative embroiled in scandal alongside Trump for alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, said live on NEWSMAX that Mamdani’s win “breaks my heart.”

“Forget that he’s a communist,” Giuliani asserted. “He’s also a supporter of extremist Islamic terrorism.”

The Trump administration reacted with similar levels of malice and racism. Top Trump advisor Stephen Miller, and architect of Trump’s immigration policy, tweeted out a photo with no context at 10:08 pm on election night. The photo was a screenshot of a page on the official New York City government website, describing how “almost 50 percent of New Yorkers live in family households with at least one immigrant” – a post which could be seen to imply that immigration, legal or otherwise, are contributing to the problems that conservatives like Miller see with the recent election outcome. Such an assertion comes only weeks after a high-profile ICE raid in New York City’s Chinatown generated outrage nationwide.

Trump issued a slew of posts on his social media platform, Truth Social, leading up to Mamdani’s victory, condemning the socialist candidate and issuing a reluctant endorsement to former political rival Andrew Cuomo. The following day, however, Trump’s only possible reference to Mamdani was an anniversary post celebrating his own electoral win last year, in which he referenced that “Affordability is our goal.” Mamdani had made the sky-high cost of living in New York City the centerpiece of his platform.

Democratic establishment issues lukewarm response

Some establishment Democrats have thus far issued no statement on Mamdani’s victory at all. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, a Brooklyn resident and the Senator from Mamdani’s own state of New York put out a short statement congratulating Mamdani on his win and saying he looks forward to working with the new mayor-elect. Notably, he did not state who he voted for and never formally endorsed Mamdani during the race.

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a last-minute endorsement of Mamdani on October 24 after repeatedly dodging press questions on the issue. Following Mamdani’s victory, Jeffries issued no direct congratulations, only a vague statement that “Donald Trump and Republicans haven’t done a damn thing to lower the high cost of living” and that “working class Americans know it.”

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