If you’re asking when is New York mayoral race, you might be feeling a little bit like you missed a memo. Or maybe you're just trying to figure out why everyone in the five boroughs is suddenly talking about Zohran Mamdani.
Well, the short version is that the race is actually over. The big day happened on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
It was a wild ride. Honestly, even for New York standards, this election cycle was pretty chaotic. We had an incumbent mayor withdrawing late in the game, a former governor trying to make a massive political comeback as an independent, and a winner who basically nobody predicted a year ago.
The Important Dates You Missed (or Need for Next Time)
The 2025 New York City mayoral election followed the standard city charter schedule. Because the city uses a system of primaries and a general election, the calendar was packed.
Early voting for the general election kicked off on October 25, 2025, and ran through November 2, 2025. This nine-day window has become the go-to for about 20-25% of the city's voters lately. If you like the stickers but hate the lines, that was the time to go.
Before that, the primary was held on June 24, 2025. This is where things got really interesting. New York uses ranked-choice voting for its primaries. It means you don't just pick one person; you rank your top five. This system ended up being the deciding factor for the Democratic nomination.
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A Quick Breakdown of the 2025 Timeline:
- February 1, 2025: Official certification of the offices up for election.
- June 14–22, 2025: Early voting for the Primary.
- June 24, 2025: Primary Election Day.
- October 25 – November 2, 2025: General Election Early Voting.
- November 4, 2025: General Election Day.
Who Actually Won the New York Mayoral Race?
Zohran Mamdani. If you haven't heard the name yet, get used to it.
He’s a Democratic State Assemblyman from Astoria, Queens. He won the general election with 50.78% of the vote. That’s about 1,114,184 votes in total. It’s a pretty big deal because he’s now the first Muslim and the first South Asian mayor in the history of New York City. At 34 years old, he’s also the youngest mayor the city has seen since the late 1800s.
He basically ran on a platform of "making the city affordable again." He talked a lot about rent freezes and expanding public transit. People called him a "socialist" during the debates, but it clearly didn't stop him from winning.
The Cuomo Factor and the Republican Challenger
One of the weirdest parts about this specific race was Andrew Cuomo. Yeah, that Andrew Cuomo.
After losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani in June, Cuomo didn't just go home. He decided to run in the general election as an independent under the "Fight and Deliver Party" line. He ended up pulling in 41.32% of the vote (906,614 votes). He even got a late endorsement from Donald Trump, which he actually rejected.
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Then you had Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels. He’s the guy always wearing the red beret. Sliwa is a fixture in NYC politics, but he only managed to snag about 7.01% of the vote (153,749 votes).
The incumbent, Eric Adams, was supposed to be in the mix too. But he actually withdrew his independent candidacy on September 28, 2025, because his polling numbers were bottoming out.
Why the Turnout Was So High
Usually, New York City local elections are pretty sleepy. Turnout is often around 20%. But this time? It hit 43.47%. That’s the highest turnout we’ve seen for a mayor’s race since 1993.
What changed? Basically, young people showed up. There was a massive surge in registration among Gen Z and Millennial voters. Whether it was the "affordable city" message or just the drama of the Mamdani vs. Cuomo vs. Sliwa showdown, people actually felt like their vote mattered this time.
When Is the Next NYC Mayoral Race?
If you missed your chance to vote in 2025, you've got a long wait ahead of you. New York City mayors serve four-year terms.
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That means the next New York mayoral race will happen in 2029.
The schedule will likely look very similar:
- Primary Election: June 2029.
- General Election: November 6, 2029.
Unless there’s a special election—which only happens if the mayor resigns or is removed—the 2029 cycle is the next big one on the books.
What’s Happening Now?
Zohran Mamdani officially took office on January 1, 2026. He’s already moved into Gracie Mansion with his wife. He’s been busy making his first big appointments, like nominating Midori Valdivia to lead the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
If you want to keep tabs on what the new administration is doing, the best way is to follow the NYC Board of Elections or NYC Votes. They keep the most updated data on voter registration and upcoming local council races.
Actionable Steps for New York Voters:
- Check Your Status: Even though the mayor's race is over, there are always smaller local elections. Visit vote.nyc to make sure you're still registered at your current address.
- Mark the 2029 Calendar: It sounds far away, but political campaigns usually start a full 18 months before the election. Expect to see the 2029 field start forming by early 2028.
- Participate in Community Boards: If you care about who the mayor is, start local. Community boards have a huge influence on the land-use issues that the mayor eventually signs off on.
It’s easy to get lost in the noise of NYC politics. But knowing the dates is the first step to actually having a say in how the city is run.