Ex-state governor declares defeat to Left-wing Democrat in speech
(MENAFN) In a major political upset, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded defeat in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor to state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist.
Cuomo, 67, who resigned in 2021 amid a sexual harassment scandal and was seeking a political comeback, acknowledged Mamdani’s victory in a speech to supporters: “Tonight is his night.” If elected, Mamdani would become the first Muslim and Indian American mayor of the nation’s largest city.
The primary, held in a strongly liberal city, is widely seen as a key indicator for the Democratic Party’s future direction following last November’s election losses to Republicans led by President Donald Trump.
Although Mamdani took a commanding lead, initial results showed him falling just short of the 50% needed to win outright. The race uses ranked-choice voting, allowing voters to rank up to five candidates, so counting is expected to continue next week.
Cuomo’s concession was unexpected given the ongoing tabulation. He told the New York Times he was still reviewing whether to run in the general election in November on an independent ballot line, saying, “I said he won the primary election… I wanted to look at the numbers and the ranked-choice voting to decide about what to do in the future, because I’m also on an independent line.”
Political strategist Trip Yang described the upset as the “biggest in modern NYC history,” highlighting Mamdani’s appeal to New York Democrats seeking leaders who “fight with enthusiasm and courage”.
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