Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has conceded in the New York City mayoral primary election as Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has a significant lead on Election Night.
Cuomo, in a speech to supporters, said Mamdani “won” and that “we are going to take a look and make some decisions.”
“Tonight is his night,” Cuomo said.
With 90% of votes counted, Mamdani has 43.5% of the first choice votes, compared to Cuomo’s 36.3% of the votes. But Mamdani has not officially secured the Democratic primary win. New York City uses ranked choice voting in elections, and a candidate must have at least 50% of the votes to claim victory.
This year, NYC will use ranked choice voting in primary and special elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and City Council; a system approved by voters in 2019.
Tonight, results will only show first-choice votes from early voting, in-person voting and processed absentee ballots, accounting for most of the votes. If a candidate is projected to win 50% of first-choice votes, then the Associated Press will declare a projected winner on Election Night.
If no one gets a majority, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and those votes go to the next choice on each ballot. This process continues until two candidates remain; whoever has the most votes then wins.
If no candidate has 50% of first-choice votes, the Board of Elections will release an unofficial report on the preliminary elimination rounds on Tuesday, July 1. The BOE plans to certify the results on July 15.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and state Assembly member, gained momentum with endorsements from progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, focusing on the city’s high cost of living. Cuomo, attempting a comeback after resigning amid a sexual harassment scandal, acknowledged Mamdani’s victory despite his own strong political connections and fundraising. Mamdani’s campaign, marked by energetic grassroots efforts, positions him as the city’s potential first Muslim and Indian American mayor.
The primary winner will face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the general election, reflecting the Democratic Party’s ideological divide.
Subscribe to LiveNOW from FOX! https://www.youtube.com/livenowfox?sub_confirmation=1
Where to watch LiveNOW from FOX: https://www.livenowfox.com/
Follow us @LiveNOWFOX on Twitter: https://twitter.com/livenowfox
Raw and unfiltered. Watch a non-stop stream of breaking news, live events and stories across the nation. Limited commentary. No opinion. Experience LiveNOW from FOX.
source
