Voters in the first major election of Trump’s second term cast ballots in about half of the US states, including two competitive gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, where they elected Democratic candidates.
Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City on Tuesday, capping a stunning run for the 34-year-old state lawmaker, who is set to become the city’s first Muslim mayor and youngest in more than a century.
In a victory for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Speaking amid thunderous applause, Mamdai told the cheering crowd in New York, "My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty."
"For as long as we can remember, the working people of New York have been told by the wealthy and the well-connected that power does not belong in their hands, and yet, over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it." Mamdani said.
"The future is in our hands," he told supporters in his 30-minute-long victory speech.
With the victory, the democratic socialist will etch his place in history as the city’s first Muslim mayor when he takes office on 1 January, the first of South Asian heritage, and the first born in Africa.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on X that she looked forward to working with Mamdani “to make our city more affordable and livable” and congratulated him on winning “one of the city’s highest-turnout elections on record.”
According to the city’s Board of Elections, more than 2 million New Yorkers cast ballots in the contest, the largest turnout in a mayoral race in more than 50 years.
New York is US President Donald Trump’s hometown, but he remains widely unpopular in the Democratic stronghold.
His frequent comments and social media posts warning that the nation’s largest city would slip into ruin if Mamdani, a democratic socialist, was elected mayor may have narrowed the race, some analysts say, but Trump’s late endorsement of independent former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who stepped down following a scandal four years ago, may have backfired.
Mamdani's win stuns favourite Cuomo
Mamdani began his campaign as a relatively obscure state lawmaker, little known even within New York City. He went into the Democratic primary, where Cuomo, with near-universal name recognition and deep political connections, was the presumed favourite.
Cuomo’s chances were buoyed further when incumbent Mayor Eric Adams bowed out of the primary while dealing with the fallout of his now-dismissed federal corruption case.
But as the race progressed, Mamdani’s natural charm, catchy social media videos and populist economic platform energised voters in the biggest US city. He also began drawing outside attention as his name ID grew.
The 34-year-old must now navigate the unending demands of America’s biggest city and deliver on ambitious campaign promises, something some sceptics have called unrealistic.
Democrats clinch Virginia and New Jersey
Tuesday's vote saw ballots in about half of the US states, including two competitive gubernatorial races in what was the first major election of Trump’s second term. The polls took on an outsized role in a year when Trump has battled with governors and mayors as he’s deployed National Guard troops and immigration agents across cities and states. Voters seemed to care, as they went all out to back Democrats for gubernatorial positions in New Jersey and Virginia, rejecting Trump’s late and lightweight push for his preferred candidates.
In Virginia, where there’s a concentration of federal workers impacted by the government shutdown and Trump’s sweeping layoffs of the federal workforce, voters flipped control and elected Democrat Abigail Spanberger as the state’s first female governor.
The former congresswoman defeated Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.
And in New Jersey, where Trump endorsed the Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli and held several tele-rallies on his behalf, voters instead chose to keep Democrats in power and elected Congresswoman Mikie Sherill.
Though the candidates and local issues all played a role in the results, voter attitudes about Trump and his agenda were central to their choices and offered the first clear review from voters, just nine months after he returned to power.
As top Democrats celebrated the results, calling it a major victory over Trump, the US president was quick to respond to the results on Tuesday night with a defensive social media post.
Citing pollsters, Trump said that “TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT,” and the federal government shutdown “WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT.”