We’re covering the upset in New York City and the weather.
It was a major upset: Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Democratic Socialist who campaigned against New York’s affordability crisis, stunned the former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor.
Mamdani’s victory is not yet official — the city uses ranked-choice ballots, and those votes are not yet tabulated. But experts say it would be exceedingly difficult for Cuomo to overcome Mamdani’s seven-point lead. Mamdani claimed victory and Cuomo conceded the race last night.
The result has created a new star for the party: Mamdani is a state assemblyman who ran on a progressive platform that promised to make buses free and raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers. It is also a rebuke for Cuomo, who spent millions more than his opponents. He had the support of establishment Democrats, like Bill Clinton, but he struggled to overcome the scandals that ended his governorship.
Cuomo told The Times last night that he was still considering whether to run in the general election as an independent. With Mayor Eric Adams also running as an independent, and Curtis Sliwa on the Republican ticket, New York may have a crowded race for mayor in November.
