New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, has successfully secured the Democratic nomination and the mayoralty of New York City following a closely watched ranked-choice primary election. In a significant victory on Tuesday night, Mamdani defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo, who conceded after the initial round of ranked-choice votes. With 89% of precincts reporting shortly after polls closed, Mamdani garnered 44% of first-choice votes, while Cuomo received 36% and City Comptroller Brad Lander 11%. This outcome confirms CNN's earlier projection that the race would be decided by ranked-choice votes due to no candidate receiving over 50% initial support.

Born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani's early life was shaped by his Indian-origin parents: Mira Nair, an acclaimed Indian-American filmmaker known for works like 'Salaam Bombay!' and 'Monsoon Wedding,' and Mahmood Mamdani, an Indian-born Ugandan academician. He spent his formative years in Cape Town, attending St George’s Grammar School, before relocating to New York at the age of seven. His educational journey in the US included attending Bank Street School of Children and the Bronx High School of Science, culminating in a bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College in 2014.

During his time at Bowdoin College, Mamdani co-founded Students for Justice in Palestine, marking the beginning of his political activism. He further honed his political experience by volunteering for Khader El-Yateem’s 2017 City Council bid, managing Ross Barkan’s State Senate campaign, and organizing for Tiffany Caban’s Queens District Attorney run. A practicing Shia Muslim, Mamdani recently married Syrian artist Rama Duwaji, whose illustrations have been featured in prominent publications such as The New Yorker and The Washington Post.

In 2019, Mamdani won a seat representing the 36th District in the New York State Assembly, covering Astoria and Long Island City. His tenure in the Assembly was marked by a strong focus on crucial issues including housing, transit affordability, and immigrant rights, which provided a solid foundation for his citywide mayoral campaign. Mamdani's unique identity and progressive platform resonated strongly with a large segment of younger, left-leaning voters, effectively positioning him against the more moderate support base of his opponent, Andrew Cuomo, and ultimately leading to his decisive victory in the primary.