Latest news with #mayoralPrimary
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Zohran Mamdani confirmed as winner of New York mayoral primary
Zohran Mamdani has won New York City's Democratic mayoral primary, a new vote count confirmed on Tuesday, cementing his stunning upset of former governor Andrew Cuomo and sending him to the general election. The Associated Press called the race after the results of the city's ranked choice voting tabulation were released and showed Mamdani beating Cuomo by 12 percentage points. Mamdani's win had been widely expected since he took a commanding lead after the polls closed a week ago, falling just short of the 50% of the vote needed to avoid another count under the city's ranked choice voting model. The system allows voters' other preferences to be counted if their top candidate falls out of the running. Mamdani, who declared victory the night of the 24 June primary, will face a general election field that includes the incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, as well as the independent candidate Jim Walden and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Cuomo conceded defeat on the night of the primary but is contemplating whether to run in the general election on an independent ballot line. Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and member of the state assembly, was virtually unknown when he launched his candidacy centered on a bold slate of populist ideas. But he built an energetic campaign that ran circles around Cuomo as the older, more moderate Democrat tried to come back from the sexual harassment scandal that led to his resignation four years ago. The results, even before they were finalized, sent a shock wave through the political world. Mamdani's campaign, which was focused on lowering the cost of living, claims it has found a new blueprint for Democrats who have at times appeared rudderless during President Donald Trump's climb back to power. The Democratic establishment has approached Mamdani with caution. Many of its big players applauded his campaign but do not seem ready to throw their full support behind the young progressive, whose past criticisms of law enforcement, use of the word 'genocide' to describe the Israeli government's actions in Gaza and 'democratic socialist' label amount to landmines for some in the party. If elected, Mamdani would be the city's first Muslim mayor and its first of Indian American decent. He would also be one of its youngest. For Republicans, Mamdani has already provided a new angle for attack. Trump and others in the GOP have begun to launch broadsides at him, moving to cast Mamdani as the epitome of leftist excess ahead of consequential elections elsewhere this year and next. ' New York City's ranked choice voting model allows voters to list up to five candidates on their ballots in order of preference. If a single candidate is the first choice of more than 50% of voters, then that person wins the race outright. Since no candidate cleared that bar on the night of the primary, the ranked choice voting process kicked in. The board is scheduled to certify the election on 15 July. Cuomo did not remove his name from the November ballot last week, ahead of a procedural deadline to do so, and has said he is still considering whether to mount an actual campaign for the office. Adams, while still a Democrat, is running in the November election as an independent. He dropped out of the Democratic primary in April after he was severely wounded by his now-dismissed federal bribery case.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Democracies rediscover the importance of bread, housing and a decent life
The rise of Zohran Mamdani, who last week won the Democratic mayoral primary in New York City, the largest and most impressive city in the US, has jolted the American public out of their slumber, which had seemed endless since Donald Trump entered the White House. To avoid drawing hasty conclusions, we must acknowledge that this young Afro-Asian Muslim who openly identifies as a socialist has only won a single round. Just one round in the fierce battle that the moderate and progressive wings of Western democracies are waging with the rising far right in its conservative, fascist and racist iterations across Europe and its control over the world's two largest democracies: India and the US. On these pages, I have written about what a university professor of mine once told me: If the 20th century was the century of ideology, the 21st is the century of technology. His claim is that the incredible pace of technological progress in our era will, in practice, solve many of the economic and ideological struggles that once pushed humanity to develop theories and abstract solutions. Of course, we cannot fully endorse or entirely reject this claim just yet. We are only a quarter of the way through the 21st century and technological progress continues at a truly astonishing pace. Achievements and discoveries that once took centuries or generations are now emerging in months, not years. Even in Western democracies that have long found comfort in the stability of their institutions, everything is changing Eyad Abu Shakra The whole is no longer what it was, and it will never again be what it is today, given the pace of economic shifts, innovations, shifts in professions, evolving beliefs and interests, the tremors shaking the structures of societies and their interactions, and the limbo that politics and value systems have entered. Our societies, all of them, are intellectually teetering between extremism and counterextremism, and between isolationism and the collapse of barriers to invasions that had stood in their way regardless of pretext. In short, these are uncertain times. And the wisest among us are those who place no bets, believe no one's rhetoric and take no risks backing any political project. Even in Western democracies that have long found comfort in the stability of their institutions, unlike our own 'young' states in the so-called Third World, everything is changing before our eyes and the eyes of their citizens. The very notion of the nation state, although it seemed firmly entrenched and secure after the end of the Cold War, is now threatened by populist and racist politics. The Ukraine war has sparked immense fear across Europe, which has become terrified of a power that is still nostalgic for the era of czars and red banners. Meanwhile, the UK's exit from the EU was driven by the far-right isolationists who now threaten to dethrone the country's two major parties, the Conservatives and Labour, with the rising proto-fascist isolationists well placed to replace them. At the same time, a resurgence of the Labour left seems to be on the cards, as the credibility of the current Labour government declines. The state of affairs in Britain is part of a broader pattern across Western Europe: moderate forces on the right and left are in decline, while the extreme right and, to a lesser extent, the radical left are gaining ground. This is also obvious in France, where Marine Le Pen's far-right and Jean-Luc Melenchon's left-wing movements have gained ground. In Germany, it can be seen in the rising popularity of the Alternative for Germany party, while Italy's Giorgia Meloni is the leader of the Brothers of Italy party. In Portugal and Spain, the far right (Chega and Vox, respectively) are embracing the legacies of the fascist regimes, led by dictators Antonio Salazar and Francisco Franco, that imposed their rule for decades. With its strategy for reversing the challenge posed by the far right's upward trajectory, the traditional moderate left is losing its soul and ability to resist. Frankly, this outcome is not surprising at all. The most these anti-far-right forces can hope for is to build fragile, ad hoc alliances that have no credibility, principles or platform. Yes, all the moderate Western left has done is evade honest conversations, buy time with empty rhetoric and seek to contain the rise of the far right, whose fervor drives its pursuit of wiping out its opponents entirely. The result? The far right is now dictating the political agenda and determining priorities. In Britain, for instance, the far-right Reform UK party recently surpassed the ruling Labour Party in opinion polls. This is a telling message and a dire warning delivered to a party that has sacrificed its core principles in an attempt to appease powerful lobbies and temporarily broaden its appeal in the face of a populist force willing to ride any wave. Mamdani has shown his party that victory is impossible without clear principles, no matter how risky sticking to them may seem Eyad Abu Shakra In the US, the Democratic Party has made serious mistakes, dragging its feet far too long and trying to cash in on empty slogans. Democrats understood the nature of the battle they faced in 2016 against Trump and his populist 'Make America Great Again' base. However, they have committed two grave errors. First, they underestimated the far-right's capacity for stirring anti-immigrant sentiment among unskilled workers and the Rust Belt. Second, they ignored the material demands at the heart of this struggle. The US' most prominent left-wing politician, Sen. Bernie Sanders, did recognize this problem. He tried to appeal to disaffected working-class voters and bring them back into the Democratic fold to ensure they did not become easy prey for Trump and MAGA. The Democrats repeated the same mistake later. This time, it was more egregious. The unconditional support of Joe Biden's administration for Benjamin Netanyahu and his Gaza war cost the party's 2024 candidate, Kamala Harris, tens of thousands of votes from the left, as well as the votes of Muslims and Arab Americans in key swing states … votes that could have gone her way, at least in theory. Mamdani may or may not win November's mayoral race in New York — a city that remains the hub of Jewish American life. Nonetheless, he has shown his party that victory is impossible without clear principles, no matter how risky sticking to them may seem. Mamdani understands that the people of New York face urgent material crises that need solutions, not the empty slogans of opportunists and domestic and foreign lobbies that are amplified by Fox News and the like. Even in the century of technology and virtual worlds, people still need bread, jobs, medicine, employment and social security.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
What to Know About Ranked-Choice Results in the N.Y.C. Mayor's Race
Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani's strong performance in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary last Tuesday turned him into a national figure overnight, as his upstart campaign overtook that of the longtime front-runner, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. But it was not enough to make him the official nominee. That victory is likely to come on Tuesday. Since Mr. Mamdani received less than 50 percent of the vote in the first round of counting, a runoff was triggered under New York City's relatively new ranked-choice voting system. The system allows voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference. Now, the candidates with the least first-choice support will be eliminated, round by round, and their votes redistributed to voters' next choices. The Board of Elections will release the ranked-choice results on Tuesday, one week after the primary. Here's what to know: When will the results be available? The ranked-choice voting results are slated to be released online at noon, according to a news release from the Board of Elections. What will they include? The Board of Elections said it would report the tally of all the ballots that were counted during the city's nine days of in-person early voting and on Primary Day, as well as mail-in ballots received and processed by Primary Day. The board plans to release updated numbers weekly on Tuesdays until all ballots are counted and final results certified. The final results will include absentee ballots. There were 11 candidates in the race. With an estimated 93 percent of the vote counted last Tuesday, Mr. Mamdani had the support of 43.5 percent of the city's Democratic primary voters, leading Mr. Cuomo by about seven percentage points. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
The Cost of Living in NYC and Immigrating to the US
By Welcome to the Wall Street Week newsletter, bringing you stories of capitalism about things you need to know, but even more things you need to think about. I'm David Westin, and this week we told the stories of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani winning the Democratic mayoral primary in New York City and of the business of countries selling the right to be a resident. If you're not yet a subscriber, sign up here for this newsletter. New York City held its Democratic mayoral primary this week, and chose relative newcomer, State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, over a crowded field that included former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 in the wake of multiple sexual harassment allegations that he denies. Mamdani stood out, not just for his disciplined, organized campaign, but for his embrace of "Democratic Socialism."
Reuters
7 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Mamdani's stunning upset in New York's Democratic mayoral primary carries risks, rewards for national Democrats
NEW YORK, June 25 (Reuters) - Self-described democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's unexpected upset in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday exhilarated progressive activists, who had banded together to prevent the more moderate former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo from triumphing. But the surprise outcome also generated excitement from a very different group of people: national Republicans. Soon after it became clear that Mamdani, a 33-year-old state lawmaker, was likely to prevail, Republican Vice President JD Vance sent congratulations on social media to the "new leader of the Democratic Party." The Republican's congressional campaign arm called him an "antisemitic socialist radical" and promised to tie him to every vulnerable Democrat in next year's midterm elections. And on Wednesday, Republican President Donald Trump - a native New Yorker - piled on, writing on social media, "It's finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor." The reactions underscore both the risks and the rewards for the Democratic Party - still trying to find its footing five months into Trump's term - in having an unabashed left-wing nominee running in the country's biggest city this fall. Mamdani's campaign, which drew plaudits for its cheery tone and clever viral videos, could help energize young voters, a demographic that Democrats are desperate to reach in 2026 and beyond. His rise from a virtual unknown was fueled by a relentless focus on affordability, an issue Democrats struggled to address during last year's presidential race. "Cost of living is the issue of our time," Neera Tanden, the chief executive of Democratic think tank Center for American Progress wrote on X in response to Mamdani's win. "It's the through line animating all politics. Smart political leaders respond to it." His history-making candidacy – Mamdani, born in Uganda to Indian parents, would be the city's first Muslim and Indian American mayor – could also drive engagement among Asian and especially Muslim voters, some of whom soured on the party after the Biden administration's support for Israel's war in Gaza. 'These elections aren't about left, right or center, they're about whether you're a change to the status quo. People don't want more of the same, they want someone who plays a different game,' said Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson. But Mamdani's criticism of Israel and his democratic socialism are also likely to show up frequently in Republican attack ads. Much of the Democratic establishment had lined up behind Cuomo, including former President Bill Clinton, partly out of unease over Mamdani's platform. Mamdani has repeatedly said he is not antisemitic. "I think he's an easy target for Republicans who want to use scare tactics to talk about the Muslim mayor from New York City who's uber-left," said Patrick Egan, a political science professor at New York University. But Egan noted, Mamdani has also proven to be an adept politician. "When people get exposed to this guy, they tend to like him," he said. Basil Smikle, a political analyst and professor at Columbia University's School of Professional Studies, said heavy-handed attacks on Mamdani could backfire by energizing "a lot of the Democratic voters to want to push more against Trump." "I don't think it hurts Democrats in the long run," he said. "I actually think it helps them." For his part, Mamdani seemed ready to embrace his role as a party leader, telling supporters in his victory speech that he would govern the city "as a model for the Democratic Party – a party where we fight for working people with no apology." He vowed to use his mayoral power to "reject Donald Trump's fascism." Democratic voters say they want a new generation of leaders and a party that concentrates on economic issues, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll earlier this month. "The Democratic Party is trying to figure itself out," said Christina Greer, a political science professor at Fordham University in New York. While Mamdani enters the general election as the favorite in a city dominated by Democrats, the race is more unsettled than usual. Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, is running as an independent after his popularity plummeted following his indictment on corruption charges and the subsequent decision by Trump's Justice Department to drop the case. Cuomo also retains the ability to run as an independent, though he has not yet decided whether to do so. The Republican candidate is Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels. Jim Walden, a former federal prosecutor, is running as an independent, as well. The primary had become a two-man race by Election Day between Mamdani and Cuomo, echoing other Democratic nominating contests in which the party's establishment and liberal wings have wrestled for power. But it was also a generational clash between Mamdani and Cuomo, the 67-year-old scion of a New York political family. That said, Cuomo carried plenty of personal baggage, four years after he resigned the governorship amid allegations of sexual harassment, which he has denied. "Some people were voting for Mamdani to express their displeasure for Cuomo," Greer said. Mamdani's unlikely ascension bore some of the same hallmarks of similar rises for two other democratic socialists, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both of whom endorsed his campaign. Sanders, an independent, emerged as a leading Democratic presidential candidate in 2016 and 2020, while Ocasio-Cortez pulled off an upset in 2018 by defeating a longtime incumbent Democrat.
