New York has elected a Muslim Mayor for the first time in history.
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, 34, won the election in a landslide, with more than one million New Yorkers embracing his vision for an affordable and diverse city.
He triumphed over Andrew Cuomo, former New York state governor, who was endorsed by Donald Trump and backed by wealthy campaign groups.
Results from the vote came in a few hours after polls closed, but were only certified around 3am (UK time).
The mayor-elect gave a speech shortly after the results dropped and, with his signature smile, told supporters: ‘As Eugene Debs once said, I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.’
Trump, meanwhile, posted on his Truth Social platform: ‘…AND DO IT BEGINS!’
The victory comes after he was targeted for his religious beliefs, facing false accusations that he wanted ‘sharia law’.
Mamdani declared to a roaring crowd at his victory party in Brooklyn: ‘The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate.
‘I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.’
He cast his win as a victory for blue-collar workers struggling to get by.
‘New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change,’ he said, vowing to ‘wake up each morning with a singular purpose: To make this city better for you than it was the day before.’
He will also become the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office on January 1.
In his speech, Mamdani addressed Trump head-on.
‘New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and as of tonight, led by an immigrant,’ he said, adding: ‘If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.’
Mamdani was born in Uganda to an Indian mother and a Gujarati Muslim father who grew up in the East African country.
He and his family moved to the United States when he was a child, and he is a naturalised citizen as of 2018.
But the President and other Republicans have taken aim at Mamdani, with Trump even suggesting that the self-identified Democratic socialist might be deported.
Now, he’s mayor of the most famous city in America.
What are Mamdani’s policies?
Mamdani stands out for his energetic campaigning style and eye-catching policy proposals that include freezing rent for many New Yorkers, providing free bus service, universal childcare and city-owned supermarkets.
In one of the most expensive cities in the world – where a three-bedroom flat can easily cost $6,000 a month – his message seems to have struck a chord with many.
His image as a fresh voice for people has rapidly been growing since he declared his candidacy for mayor last fall.
Mamdani has also been one of the most vocal politicians against Israel’s war in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
In 2023, he introduced a bill to end the tax-exempt status of charities in New York with ties to Israeli settlements that violate international human rights law.
But the bill quickly went nowhere after lack of support from the Assembly.
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