New York City just went through a political earthquake. If you’ve lived here long enough, you know the vibe of a typical mayoral race. Usually, it’s a slow-motion collision of big egos, union endorsements, and endless debates about trash pickup. But the New York mayor election of 2025? Honestly, it was a fever dream. We saw a sitting mayor withdraw while under federal indictment, a former governor try for the ultimate "redemption" arc, and a democratic socialist assemblyman from Queens pull off the biggest upset since... well, maybe ever.
Zohran Mamdani is now the Mayor-elect. Let that sink in. He didn’t just win; he effectively broke the machinery that has run this city for decades. He’s the first Muslim mayor, the first South Asian mayor, and the youngest person to hold the keys to Gracie Mansion since the late 1800s.
But how did we get here? It wasn't a straight line. It was a chaotic, three-way brawl that left the traditional political establishment looking for the exit signs.
The Fall of Eric Adams and the Power Vacuum
You can’t talk about this New York mayor election without talking about the spectacular collapse of Eric Adams' re-election bid. Basically, the wheels didn't just come off; the whole car disintegrated.
By early 2025, the headlines were relentless. You had federal investigators crawling through City Hall, high-level resignations like Ingrid Lewis-Martin, and that massive indictment involving wire fraud and foreign contributions. While the Trump administration eventually directed the DOJ to drop those charges in February 2025, the political damage was done. People were tired. Approval ratings weren't just low—they were subterranean.
Adams tried to pivot. He ditched the Democratic primary in April to run as an independent under the "Safe & Affordable" party. It was a bold move, or a desperate one, depending on who you ask. But by September, the numbers were too grim to ignore. He officially suspended his campaign on September 28, 2025. Funnily enough, his name stayed on the ballot anyway because he missed the deadline to get it removed. He ended up with a fraction of a percent of the vote. A quiet end to a very loud term.
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The Primary Upset: Zohran Mamdani vs. The Cuomo Machine
When Andrew Cuomo announced his run in March 2025, most of the "smart money" in the city assumed he’d steamroll the field. He had the name ID. He had the money. He had that "tough guy from Queens" persona that usually plays well in the outer boroughs.
Then there was Brad Lander. The Comptroller was supposed to be the progressive alternative, the guy with the 100-page policy papers on housing and transit. But Mamdani offered something different. He didn't just talk about policy; he talked about a total redistribution of power.
How the Ranked-Choice Voting Shook Out
The June primary was the first real sign that the old rules were dead. Cuomo led in the early polls, but Mamdani’s ground game was unlike anything the city had seen. He leaned into a platform of:
- Free Buses: Not just a discount, but making the whole system fare-free.
- Rent Freezes: A hard line against the Rent Guidelines Board.
- Taxing the Wealthy: Specifically targeting those making over $1 million.
On primary night, Mamdani held a surprising lead. When the ranked-choice tallies finally finished in July, Mamdani had 56.4% to Cuomo’s 43.6%. It was a 13-point victory that sent shockwaves through the state Democratic party. Cuomo, never one to take a loss sitting down, took his "Fight and Deliver" party line straight into the general election.
A General Election Like No Other
By October, the race was a chaotic three-way split between Mamdani (the Democrat), Cuomo (the Independent), and Curtis Sliwa (the Republican).
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Sliwa was, well, Sliwa. He wore the red beret, he talked about the Guardian Angels, and he hammered both opponents on crime. But the real fight was between the two versions of the Democratic soul. Cuomo positioned himself as the "adult in the room," the experienced manager who could handle a potential second Trump term. He even got an endorsement from Michael Bloomberg, which felt like a throwback to a different era of NYC politics.
Then things got weird. On November 3—literally the day before the election—Donald Trump endorsed Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo immediately rejected it, calling it an attempt to sabotage him in a deep-blue city. Whether it was a genuine endorsement or a "kiss of death" move by Trump is still being debated in every bar from Astoria to Staten Island.
The Final Results
When the dust settled on November 4, 2025, the turnout was the highest it’s been since the Dinkins-Giuliani era. Over two million New Yorkers cast a ballot.
| Candidate | Party | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|
| Zohran Mamdani | Democratic / WFP | 50.8% |
| Andrew Cuomo | Fight and Deliver | 41.3% |
| Curtis Sliwa | Republican | 7.0% |
Mamdani didn't just win the progressive strongholds in Brooklyn and Western Queens; he made significant inroads with young voters across the city who felt completely alienated by the status quo.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Win
There’s this narrative that Mamdani won just because Adams was unpopular and Cuomo had too much baggage. That's sorta lazy.
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The truth is, Mamdani tapped into a very real "affordability crisis" anger that transcends Twitter. People are paying $4,000 for studios in neighborhoods where the subway barely runs. His "free bus" pitch wasn't just a gimmick; it was a lifeline for essential workers in the transit deserts of the Bronx and East New York.
Also, don't overlook the youth vote. This was the first New York mayor election where Gen Z and Millennials were the dominant voting bloc. They didn't care about Cuomo’s "tough governor" legacy from a decade ago. They cared about whether they could afford to live in the city five years from now.
What Happens on Day One?
Mamdani took office on January 1, 2026. He’s inheriting a city with massive challenges. The migrant crisis is still a huge fiscal strain, the commercial real estate market is still shaky, and the NYPD is currently being sued by its former interim commissioner, Tom Donlon, for defamation.
If you're a New Yorker, here is what you need to keep an eye on over the next 100 days:
- The MTA Fight: Mamdani wants free buses, but the MTA is controlled by the state. Governor Kathy Hochul hasn't exactly been his biggest fan. Expect a massive showdown in Albany over funding.
- The Housing Emergency: He’s promised to use emergency powers to fast-track social housing. This will likely end up in court within weeks.
- The Police Budget: Mamdani ran on a platform of shifting funds from policing to social services. The City Council is generally on his side, but the "tough on crime" crowd—and the unions—are already sharpening their knives.
If you want to stay involved, the best thing to do is show up at your local Community Board meetings. That's where the fights over housing and transit actually happen. Also, make sure you're registered for the 2026 state elections; the relationship between the Mayor and the Governor is going to define whether Mamdani's "socialist experiment" actually works or gets strangled in the crib by state politics.
Watch the city budget hearings in February. That’s when we’ll see if the "Mayor for the many" can actually find the money to pay for the "many" things he promised.