If you were watching the news last June, you probably saw the headlines. A political earthquake hit the five boroughs. Honestly, nobody—and I mean nobody—actually saw it coming until the very last minute. We’re talking about the New York City mayoral primary, an election that was supposed to be a coronation for a political heavyweight but ended up being a funeral for the old guard.
Basically, the 2025 Democratic primary was a wild ride. You had an incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, who was practically a ghost by the time the polls opened. You had a former governor, Andrew Cuomo, trying to pull off the ultimate "I’m back" move. And then you had Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic socialist from Queens who just... won.
It wasn’t just a victory; it was a total rejection of the status quo.
Why the NYC Mayoral Primary Went Sideways for the Establishment
Most people thought Andrew Cuomo had this in the bag. He had the name ID. He had the Michael Bloomberg endorsement. He even had a massive war chest that made other campaigns look like bake sales. But New York City voters are nothing if not unpredictable.
The primary, held on June 24, 2025, used Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV). This is where things get kinda technical but stay with me. In an RCV system, if nobody gets 50% in the first round, the person in last place is eliminated, and their votes go to whoever their supporters picked as their second choice.
Cuomo led in the early polls. For months, it looked like he was the "safe" choice for people worried about crime. But there was a growing movement under the surface. A campaign called "Don’t Rank Evil Andrew" (originally "DREAM for NYC") started gaining steam. They told voters: "Rank whoever you want, just don't put Cuomo anywhere on your ballot."
The Adams Factor
You can't talk about this primary without talking about Eric Adams. Talk about a fall from grace. By February 2025, he was dealing with a federal indictment that felt like it would never end. Even though the DOJ eventually dropped the charges in April 2025, the damage was done.
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Adams didn't even run in the Democratic primary. He decided to skip it entirely and try to run as an independent in the general election. That left a massive hole in the "moderate" lane. Cuomo tried to fill it, but he carried way too much baggage from his own resignation back in 2021.
The Surge of Zohran Mamdani
While the big names were fighting in court or on TV, Zohran Mamdani was on the street. Literally. His campaign was built on a "boots on the ground" strategy that utilized over 10,000 volunteers from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
They knocked on over a million doors.
Mamdani’s platform was bold. Some called it radical. Others called it necessary. He wasn't talking about "incremental change." He was talking about:
- Free city buses (the "Get NYC Moving" plan).
- A total rent freeze for rent-stabilized apartments.
- Taxing the top 1% to fund universal childcare.
- A Department of Community Safety to replace certain police functions with mental health workers.
It turns out, if you tell New Yorkers you’ll make their lives cheaper, they listen.
The Final Count
On election night, the first-choice votes were closer than expected. Cuomo had about 36%, while Mamdani was sitting at 43%. But because of Ranked-Choice Voting, it took weeks to get the final tally.
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When the dust settled in July, Mamdani had 56.4% to Cuomo's 43.6%.
The map was fascinating. Cuomo dominated the Bronx and parts of Staten Island. Mamdani, however, absolutely crushed it in Brooklyn and Queens. He even made surprising inroads with Latino voters, a group that was supposed to be Cuomo’s firewall.
What Really Happened with Public Safety?
If you listen to the pundits, they’ll tell you New Yorkers only care about "law and order." Cuomo ran on that. He promised more cops and a "tough on crime" approach.
Mamdani flipped the script.
He didn't ignore crime; he just redefined it. He talked about "economic safety." His argument was simple: people feel unsafe when they can't pay rent or afford the subway. He even got an endorsement from former NYPD Chief of Department Rodney Harrison for his "Department of Community Safety" idea. That endorsement was a game-changer. It gave a "socialist" candidate some serious street cred on policing.
The Big Primary Takeaways
So, what does this actually mean for the city?
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First, the "New York is a centrist city" narrative is dead. Or at least on life support. This election proved that a well-organized progressive movement can beat a multi-million dollar establishment campaign.
Second, endorsements don't matter as much as they used to. Cuomo had Bloomberg, Bill Clinton, and even a weird, rejected nod from Donald Trump. Mamdani had the teachers' union and a bunch of kids with clipboards. The kids won.
Third, the New York City mayoral primary is now the real election. In a city this blue, the primary is where the soul of the city is decided. The general election in November—where Mamdani eventually beat Cuomo (running as an independent) and Curtis Sliwa—was almost an afterthought.
Common Misconceptions
- "Mamdani won because turnout was low." Actually, it was one of the highest-turnout primaries in NYC history. Over a million people voted in the Democratic primary.
- "Cuomo lost because of the scandals." It played a part, but the "nursing home" and "harassment" stuff was old news to most voters. He lost because he didn't offer a vision for the future, only a return to the past.
- "Progressives can't win on crime." Mamdani proved that if you link safety to affordability, people will buy in.
Actionable Insights for NYC Voters
The dust has settled, and Zohran Mamdani is now the mayor (the first Muslim and South Asian mayor in the city’s history, by the way). But the lessons from the primary are still vital.
- Keep Your Registration Updated: Thousands of people couldn't vote because they weren't registered as Democrats. In NYC, if you aren't in a party, you’re locked out of the primary. Check your status at the NYC Board of Elections.
- Learn the RCV Strategy: Don't just pick one person. If there's someone you absolutely hate, do not rank them. But if there are three people you "sorta" like, rank them all. It matters.
- Follow the Money: Use the NYC Campaign Finance Board portal. You can see exactly who is funding these candidates. In 2025, the "small-dollar" donors actually beat the hedge fund guys.
- Get Involved Early: The 2025 primary started in early 2024. If you wait until June to pay attention, you’ve already missed the window to shape the field.
The 2025 primary changed the trajectory of New York. It was messy, it was expensive, and it was deeply personal. But more than anything, it was a reminder that in this city, the voters always have the last word.
Next Steps for You: If you're curious about how the new administration is actually handling the rent freeze promises, I can pull the latest data on the 2026 Rent Guidelines Board hearings or break down the "Get NYC Moving" bus initiative's progress.