Zohran Mamdani fought an insurgent campaign and won

Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, has become the first Muslim mayor of New York City.

So what? A former state assembly member, Mamdani was a relative unknown when he entered the race for the Democratic nomination last year. He ran an insurgent campaign focused on affordability that energised New Yorkers and saw him beat better-funded rivals. The election

• was bitterly fought, drawing interventions from Donald Trump;
• had the highest voter turnout for half a century; and
• saw Mamdani win an outright majority.

Policies. Mamdani ran on pledges to introduce free buses, a rent freeze and universal free childcare. He also plans to open government-run grocery shops. These will be funded by tax hikes on big companies and the rich aimed at raising $9 billion.

How he won. Mamdani made savvy use of TikTok, where he has 2.2 million followers. In one video he jumped, fully suited, into icy waters to plug his rent freeze. But his team also ran a highly organised door-knocking campaign with an army of volunteers.

Uphill battle. He overcame unease among centrists in his own party, some of whom refused to endorse him. New York billionaires made large donations aimed at stopping him, while Donald Trump threatened to cut off the city’s federal funds if Mamdani was elected.

An ugly campaign veered into Islamophobia in its final days, with suggestions that Mamdani would cheer another 9/11 and that his win would lead to a pogrom against New York’s Jews.

It didn’t work. Mamdani secured more votes than all the other candidates combined and finished nine points ahead of Andrew Cuomo in second place. Mamdani used his victory speech to tell Trump to “turn up the volume”. The president replied: “AND SO IT BEGINS!”

Sweeping success. Mamdani’s election reshapes the traditional Democratic coalition in New York. He won by 50 points in affluent parts of liberal Brooklyn, but also performed strongly in Asian, Black and Latino communities that shifted towards Trump in the 2024 election.

In other news. The result capped a good Tuesday night for the Democrats. Moderate Democrats won elections for governor in Virginia and New Jersey by focusing on Trump’s failure to tackle inflation and the cost of living, the issues he was elected on last year.

Going west. But arguably the most significant victory came in California, where voters approved Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to redraw the state’s congressional map. This move to counter gerrymandering in Texas is expected to give Democrats five more seats in the House of Representatives at the 2026 midterms, when control of Congress is up for grabs.

Much-needed boost. The Democrats have been rudderless since the 2024 election, with approval ratings plunging to historic lows. This week offers them a path out of the wilderness.

Or perhaps two. Tuesday’s results will sharpen the battle lines between the progressive and centrist wings, who can both claim that their respective approaches were vindicated on Tuesday. Heading into the midterms, some Democrats doubt whether the kind of policy platform offered by Mamdani will hold appeal in swing states.

For Republicans, the elections confirm that their party fails to turn out voters when Trump is not on the ballot. The problem the GOP faces is that Trump will never be on the ballot again.

Meanwhile... one of Mamdani’s biggest challenges will be fending off an overbearing president. To deliver his agenda he will also need to work with the New York governor Kathy Hochul, while building bridges with the donors who backed his rivals.

Photograph by Andy Hall for The Observer.