NY elects leftist mayor on big election night for Democrats
New Yorkers elected young leftist Zohran Mamdani as their next mayor Tuesday and Democrats won two key state governor races as US voters delivered an early warning to President Donald Trump ahead of 2026's midterms.
The clean sweep of the top contests among several ballots nationwide will boost morale for Democrats bruised by Trump's onslaught since returning to the White House and set alarm bells ringing in Republican circles.
Mamdani's victory came in the face of fierce attacks on his policies and Muslim heritage from business elites, conservative media commentators and Trump himself.
"If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him," Mamdani said in a victory speech to supporters.
"In this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light."
The Democratic party's victories in the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey suggested a shift in political mood as the country looks to next year's midterm elections when control of Congress will be up for grabs.
In another significant win for Democrats, voters in California approved a proposition to redraw electoral districts in a bid to neutralize gerrymandering efforts ordered by Trump in other states.
Trump refused to take any blame for Tuesday's results. In a post on his Truth Social network, he cited anonymous "pollsters" suggesting the Republican defeats were down to the government shutdown and the fact that his own name wasn't on ballots.
House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said "Democrats are smoking Donald Trump and Republican extremists throughout the country," writing on X that "the Democratic Party is back."
Mamdani, a state lawmaker for New York's Queens borough, appealed to voters by pledging to tackle the soaring cost of living, offering free city bus travel, childcare and city-run grocery stores.
He focused on living costs facing ordinary New Yorkers, building support through his informal personal style, social media savvy and a massive canvassing ground game.
"The next and last stop is City Hall," Mamdani said in a video posted to X after his victory was declared.
The self-described socialist was virtually unknown before his upset victory to secure the Democratic nomination over former governor Andrew Cuomo, who he trounced again Tuesday.
There was a party atmosphere at Mamdani's election results viewing event for supporters, held at a storied concert venue in Brooklyn.
Trump made an eleventh-hour intervention in the race, calling Mamdani -- who will become New York's first Muslim mayor when he takes office in January -- a "Jew hater."
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels citizen crime patrol group, came in third after weeks of Cuomo insisting he bow out to increase his chances.
Prominent business people including Bill Ackman noisily attacked Mamdani and funneled cash to his rivals, while conservative media including The New York Post published blanket negative coverage.
Turnout was high in this year's vote with 1.45 million people casting ballots by 3 pm (2000 GMT) -- more than the total number of voters in the 2021 race.
- Uphill struggle -
Mamdani's improbable rise highlights the Democratic Party's debate over a centrist or a leftist future, with some leading national figures offering only tepid endorsements of Mamdani ahead of voting.
Syracuse University political science professor Grant Reeher said ahead of the result mayor Mamdani would face an uphill battle "at the center of all of these nasty political controversies."
"Everybody's got their knives out, and it's a very difficult city to govern," he told AFP.
There was a grim mood among some attendees at Cuomo's results party with some attendees predicting Trump would immediately deploy the National Guard to the city.
Others blamed Sliwa for splitting the center-right vote.
In New Jersey, Democratic Party candidate Mikie Sherrill beat out a Trump-backed businessman and in Virginia, Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger took back the governor's mansion from the Republicans.
Both sides wheeled out big guns, with former president Barack Obama rallying support for Spanberger and Sherrill.
"We've still got plenty of work to do, but the future looks a little bit brighter," Obama said in response to the wins.
Source: Agence France Presse
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