It was the kind of night that political consultants have nightmares about. In a city that usually rewards the safest, most established names, a 33-year-old Democratic Socialist basically blew the doors off the 2025 Democratic primary. If you’re asking who won the primary in nyc, the answer is Zohran Mamdani. He didn't just win; he toppled a political dynasty.
Honestly, almost nobody saw it coming back in early 2025. Andrew Cuomo, the former Governor with a massive war chest and name recognition that spanned decades, was the presumed frontrunner for months. He was running on a "restore order" platform, leaning hard into his experience. But when the dust settled on the June 24, 2025 primary, the "inevitable" comeback had turned into a concession speech.
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The Night Zohran Mamdani Redefined NYC Politics
The June primary results were a massive shock to the system. Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Astoria, didn't have the backing of the old-school party machine. He had something else: a laser focus on the rent. While other candidates were debating high-level policy, he was talking about the $3,000-a-month studio apartments and the price of a gallon of milk.
The first-choice ballots told a clear story early on, but New York’s ranked-choice voting system made things a little tense for a minute. In the end, Mamdani took about 56% of the vote in the final round of tabulation, leaving Cuomo at roughly 44%.
Why the Polls Got It So Wrong
You might remember the early polls showing Cuomo with a double-digit lead. Those polls often rely on "likely voters," which usually means older people who have voted in every election since the 70s. What they missed was a surge in young voter registration. Thousands of New Yorkers who usually sit out local primaries showed up because they felt like they were being priced out of their own neighborhoods.
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It wasn't just the youth vote, though. Mamdani built a coalition that spanned the boroughs. He won big in Brooklyn and Queens, obviously, but he also pulled surprisingly well in working-class parts of the Bronx.
What Really Happened with the Other Candidates?
It wasn't just a two-person race, even if it felt like it by the end. City Comptroller Brad Lander was in the mix for a long time, representing the more "traditional" progressive lane. He ended up with about 11% of the first-choice votes before being eliminated in the ranked-choice rounds.
Then there was Adrienne Adams, the City Council Speaker, who had a lot of institutional support but couldn't quite catch fire with the broader electorate. She pulled about 4% of the vote.
The Incumbent Factor
Where was Eric Adams in all this? That’s the wild part. The incumbent mayor actually skipped the Democratic primary entirely. Faced with federal investigations and plummeting approval ratings, he decided to run as an independent in the general election instead. It was a gamble that ultimately didn't pay off, but it left the Democratic field wide open for the Mamdani vs. Cuomo showdown.
How the Ranked-Choice System Played Out
New York's voting system is kinda confusing if you aren't living it. You don't just pick one person; you rank your top five. This is crucial for understanding who won the primary in nyc because the initial "Election Night" lead often changes.
- Round 1: Mamdani had a strong lead but wasn't at the 50% needed to win outright.
- The Sifting: Candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated, and their supporters' second choices get redistributed.
- The Final Count: Most of Brad Lander's supporters had Mamdani as their second or third choice. When Lander was knocked out, those votes flowed almost entirely to Mamdani, sealing the deal.
The Platform That Won the City
Mamdani’s win wasn't just about his personality. He ran on a "Socialist Slate" that sounded radical to the donor class but resonated with people living paycheck to paycheck.
- Rent Freezes: He promised a flat-out freeze on rent-stabilized units.
- Free Buses: He basically said the MTA's bus system should be free to use, funded by higher taxes on the city's billionaires.
- Universal Childcare: A massive expansion of the city's existing programs to cover every kid, regardless of income.
Cuomo tried to paint these ideas as "unrealistic" or "dangerous," but for a lot of New Yorkers, the current reality already feels dangerous. The "safe" choice didn't feel safe to people who couldn't afford their groceries.
From Primary Winner to Mayor-Elect
Winning the primary is usually the end of the story in NYC because it's such a deep-blue city. But 2025 was weird. Because Cuomo didn't disappear—he actually ran again in the general election as an independent—Mamdani had to win the city twice.
He did exactly that on November 4, 2025. He secured over a million votes, the first time a mayoral candidate has done that since the 60s. He officially took office on January 1, 2026, making history as the first Muslim mayor of New York City and the youngest the city has seen in over a century.
What This Means for You Right Now
If you're a New Yorker, the "primary win" wasn't just a tally of votes; it was a mandate for a massive shift in how the city is run. We're already seeing the effects in early 2026. The new administration is pushing for a 2% tax on New Yorkers earning over $1 million, which is already causing a lot of friction in Albany.
There's also the "Department of Community Safety" initiative. Instead of just relying on the NYPD for everything, the city is starting to pilot programs where mental health professionals are the primary responders for non-violent crises. It’s a huge experiment, and the whole country is watching to see if it actually works.
Actionable Steps for Staying Involved
Politics doesn't end when the primary is over. If you want to see how these changes actually affect your neighborhood, there are a few things you should be doing:
- Check Your Local Special Elections: There are several special elections happening on February 3, 2026, for State Assembly and Senate seats (specifically in Manhattan and Queens). Use the NYC Board of Elections poll site finder to see if your district is involved.
- Attend Community Board Meetings: This is where the real fights over housing and "rent freezes" happen. If you want to support or oppose the new mayor's housing plans, this is where your voice actually carries weight.
- Monitor the 2026 Budget: The first "Mamdani Budget" will be a battleground. Keep an eye on local news outlets like The City or Gothamist for breakdowns of where the money is actually going.
The 2025 primary was a turning point. It proved that the old "playbook of the past" doesn't work when people are desperate for change. Whether you're a fan of the new direction or skeptical of the socialist label, there's no denying that New York City politics looks completely different today than it did just twelve months ago.