Zohran Mamdani, 34, has won the New York City mayoral election and will become the first Muslim mayor of the biggest city in the US
The self-described democratic socialist was relatively unknown just months ago, and surged to victory with promises to tax millionaires to pay for expanded social programmes.
"In this
moment of political darkness, New York will be the light," Mamdani
said in a victory speech where he outlines his policies and challenges
President Trump
Trump had threatened to
cut NYC's federal funding if Mamdani won over independent
Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani said the win is for the more than 100,000 volunteers
"who built this campaign into an unstoppable force".
"Because of you," he said to those volunteers,
"We will make this city one that working people can love and live in
again."
"New York City, breathe this moment in."
"We have held our breath for longer than we know. We
have held it in anticipation of defeat. Held it because the air has been
knocked out of our lungs too many times to count. Held it because we cannot
afford to exhale, thanks to all of those who sacrifice so much."
"We are breathing in the air of a city that has been
reborn."
He campaigned as a sharp critic of the corporate and
business elite that call New York City their home, and who have made Manhattan
the financial capital of the world. To effectively govern, he will probably
have to make some form of peace with those interests, however - a process he
has already begun in recent weeks.
He has also condemned Israel's conduct during the Gaza war
and pledged to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a war criminal if he
sets foot in New York City, a promise that could be tested at some point during
his term.
All those are problems for a later date, however. For now,
Mamdani will need to set about the task of defining himself on the public stage
- before his opponents do.
While his campaign has generated national attention, he is
still a blank slate for much of America.
Meanwhile, Democrats are projected to win governor races
in Virginia and New Jersey
Also today, Californians voted to redraw the
state's congressional districts to favour the Democratic Party
ahead of elections next year.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a fellow Democrat, has
already said she opposed raising the kind of taxes necessary to fund Mamdami's
ambitious agenda.
And even with sufficient funding, Mamdani would not be able to implement programmes unilaterally.
