Zohran Mamdani's victory confirmed in the New York Democratic primary

Rising star of the American new left, Zohran Mamdani, soundly defeated his centrist rival Andrew Cuomo by a larger margin than expected in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, according to full results released Tuesday.

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Mr. Mamdani, 33, confounded pollsters last week by surging to first place in the Democratic primary ahead of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 67, who was attempting a comeback after a sex scandal.

In the first round of this complex election, where Democratic voters had to prioritize their preferences among a dozen candidates, Zohran Mamdani received 43% of the vote, compared to 36% for Mr. Cuomo, who conceded victory without waiting for the complete results.

Zohran Mamdani finally crossed the majority threshold (56%) with a twelve-point lead over Mr. Cuomo (44%), after vote transfers, according to the complete results released on Tuesday.

"Democrats have given a clear mandate for an affordable city, a forward-looking political vision, and a leader who is not afraid to fight against the rise of authoritarianism," Mamdani said Tuesday.

His victory, which was never in doubt, propelled him to the forefront of the US political scene, as the Democratic Party searches for direction after the Biden years and Kamala Harris's defeat in the November presidential election against Donald Trump.

Born in Uganda, a Muslim by faith, self-described "socialist" and activist for the Palestinian cause, Zohran Mamdani has united the party's youth, but has also drawn the ire of conservative circles who label him a "communist" or "radical."

In an interview Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press , Zohran Mamdani said he was "not" a communist while criticizing the ultra-rich. "I don't believe we should have billionaires... but I will work with everyone," he added.

"I heard he's a real nutcase, and I think if people in New York are going down that road, they're crazy," Donald Trump said Tuesday when asked about Zohran Mamdani's rise.

In the mayoral election in the largest city in the United States, next November, he will face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a right-wing Democrat who is running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Andrew Cuomo is considering running for mayor as an independent, his team said Tuesday, adding that he is currently in "discussions" to "determine the next steps."