Supporting the Palestinian cause, Mamdani wins the Democratic nomination for New York mayor.

Indian-American Zahran Mamdani won the Democratic nomination to run for mayor of New York City, while his rival, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, conceded defeat before the votes were fully counted.

"In the words of Nelson Mandela: It seems impossible until it's done," Mamdani said. "My friends, it's done, and you did it. I am honored to be your Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City."

Mamdani has mobilized young and progressive voters in an effort to oppose Cuomo and organize his opponents behind his campaign. He has narrowed the gap in the polls in recent weeks and even led in the latest round of an independent public opinion poll conducted by Emerson College.

The 33-year-old democratic socialist, endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), surprised observers Tuesday night (local time) with his strong showing against the former governor.

With Mamdani officially declared the winner of the Democratic primary, he will be the favorite to face struggling Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent, along with Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and independent Jim Walden. However, Cuomo and Mamdani could face off again.

Cuomo concedes defeat

Cuomo conceded defeat, telling his supporters in remarks reported by The Hill: "Tonight wasn't our night. Tonight was Councilman Mamdani's night. He ran a great campaign, and he touched young people, inspired them, moved them, and got them to vote."

"He ran a very impressive campaign," Cuomo added. "I called him and congratulated him."

He added, "The challenges we face are real and deserve serious consideration. I want to think about the best ways to address them, the best ways to support the party, and most importantly, the best ways to support the city. This is something we will consider in the future."

Cuomo formed a separate party line, called the "Fight and Redemption Party," to run outside the Democratic Party in the general election. Most polls leading up to Election Day showed Cuomo leading, though not decisively, in the first round.

Cuomo entered the primary election in March, having resigned from office in 2021 following allegations of sexual harassment from several women, which he denies, and criticism that he intentionally undercounted nursing home deaths during the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite these disagreements and the relatively large number of voters who viewed him negatively, he maintained his lead in opinion polls for months leading up to the primaries.

New York City allows mail-in ballots postmarked on the day of the primary to be counted for a week afterward, so subsequent rounds of progressive-choice voting are unlikely to be announced until July 1.

Under New York City's progressive-choice system, if no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed according to their voters' preferences. The process continues until one candidate receives a majority. This primary election will likely require multiple rounds before a winner is officially declared.

Mamdani supports Palestine and social justice

Zohran Mamdani is known for his pro-Palestinian stances, including his support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, a stance that has sparked widespread controversy within American political and media circles.

If he wins the upcoming election, he will be the first Muslim to hold the office of Mayor of New York, a historic step for the political representation of Muslims and Arabs in the United States.

Mamdani's platform focuses on issues of social and economic justice, such as rent freezes for housing subject to rent stabilization laws, a set of legislation aimed at protecting tenants from excessive rent increases and ensuring their housing stability, particularly in densely populated cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

His electoral platform also includes providing free public transportation, imposing taxes on large corporations to fund public services, and establishing municipally owned grocery stores to combat rising prices.