Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani prevailed over former New York governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa to become New York City’s 111th mayor.
Mamdani had been favored in polling to win over Cuomo, whom he also defeated in June. Cuomo decided to re-enter the race as an independent, and despite closing the margin, was not able to overcome his rival.
Mamdani, 34, will make history as New York’s first Muslim mayor and the first avowed socialist.
Appearing on CNN Tuesday, he said, “If people want to vote for Donald Trump and Elon Musk, they should vote for Andrew Cuomo. If people want to vote for change, they should vote for me.”
The choice is clear as day: Trump and Musk for Cuomo vs. our campaign for change. pic.twitter.com/wQTDbnCWqu
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 4, 2025
Trump endorsed Cuomo on Monday via a Truth Social post, arguing he was the better of two evils.
He argued that Mamdani’s “principles have been tested for over a thousand years, and never once have they been successful.”
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 11.04.25 08:21 AM EST pic.twitter.com/ZqSH8YT3GR
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) November 4, 2025
Is New York City going to get significantly worse under Mamdani?
Mamdani’s agenda includes “free bus service, universal child care, and his signature issue: a freeze on rent increases for the city’s 1 million rent-regulated apartments. Opponents say a rent freeze would harm landlords, who have also been hit hard by inflation,” New York affiliate WNBC-TV reported last month.
“Perhaps nowhere has the ‘communist’ label come up more than in relation to Mamdani’s proposal to set up a pilot program for city-run grocery stores. Billionaire John Catsimatidis, who owns grocery chains Gristedes and D’Agostino Supermarkets, said the program would ‘drag us down a path toward the bread lines of the old Soviet Union,’” the outlet said.
Mamdani reaffirmed this as his agenda at a rally in Queens last week, hosted by fellow socialists Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Mamdani Rallys For His “Free” Stuff
“Build housing for everyone… Eliminate the fare on every single bus line… Create universal childcare at no cost to parents.” https://t.co/PJgutdj5yJ pic.twitter.com/jNdvgOlEOp
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) October 27, 2025
Asked during a mayoral debate last month how he would pay for free buses, Mamdani fell back on the familiar Democratic position: tax the rich and corporations more.
MODERATOR: “But the question is how you’ll make [buses] free.”
MAMDANI: I’m going to raise taxes by $9 billion. pic.twitter.com/pS0qQC6PEB
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 17, 2025
The non-partisan Tax Foundation ranked New York the worst tax climate for business growth in the U.S. Its top individual income tax rate is 10.9 percent, on top of the 3.9 percent the city of New York also charges, which is on top of the federal income tax rate of 37 percent.
So a successful New Yorker pays over half of his or her income in taxes each year, and Mamdani wants to raise the amount still further.
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