Andrew Cuomo concedes the New York City mayoral primary to Zohran Mamdani, who

State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is the leader as first-choice votes are tallied in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, ahead of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who declared his rival the winner even though no candidate is set to secure a majority in the first round of the ranked choice election.

Mamdani had been surging in the race’s final weeks as he touted a progressive vision for a new direction for the city — one with rent freezes and city-run grocery stores price caps, free city buses and more. He boosted his appeal with energetic direct-to-camera videos, as well as moves like spending a weekend night before Election Day walking the length of Manhattan, stopping to chat with voters and record clips along the way.

And he won the backing of prominent liberal politicians in the city as the flag-bearer of a unified, progressive effort aimed at depriving Cuomo a political comeback.

Late Tuesday, Mamdani led the first-choice vote count with about 44% support, followed by about 36% for Cuomo.

Speaking to supporters early Wednesday morning, Mamdani quoted the late South African leader Nelson Mandela, painting a picture of a campaign powered by the working class that rose up to demand a new direction for its city.

Mamdani argued that if elected, his tenure will be “a model for the Democratic Party” as it seeks a path forward during President Donald Trump’s second term.

“New Yorkers have a city where they can do more than just struggle, one where those who toil in the night can enjoy the fruits of their labor in the day, where hard work is repaid with a stable life,” he said.

“The mayor will use their power to reject Donald Trump’s fascism, to stop masked ICE agents from deporting our mayor, and to govern our city as a model for the Democratic Party, a party where we fight for working people with no apology,” Mamdani continued.

While the city will have to wait at least a week, possibly longer, to find out who will ultimately win the Democratic nomination through the city’s ranked choice tabulations, Cuomo made it clear to his supporters he believed the clock was running out on his bid, even as he didn’t slam the door on an independent bid in the general election.

“Tonight was not our night. Tonight was Assemblyman Mamdani’s night, and he put together a great campaign, and he touched young people and inspired them and moved them and got them to come out and vote, and he really ran a highly impactful campaign. I called him. I congratulated him,” he said, asking supporters to give Mamdani a round of applause.

“Tonight is his night. He deserved it, he won.”

If Mamdani holds on to the lead during the ranked choice voting allocation and ultimately wins the Democratic nomination, he may not have fully vanquished Cuomo, who created his own party and could run in the general election on that party’s ballot line. Cuomo didn’t rule that out Tuesday night, although he also didn’t give an indication he was readying a general election bid.

And Mayor Eric Adams — a Democrat running for re-election as an independent after President Donald Trump’s Justice Department dropped corruption charges against him — awaits in the general election no matter what, alongside repeat Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.

Mamdani noted the uncertainty of the general election in his victory speech, noting the “historically contentious” primary race.

“I hope now that this primary has come to an end, I can introduce myself once more, not as you’ve seen me in a 30-second ad or in a mailer in your mailbox, but as I how I will lead as your mayor,” he said.

Under ranked choice voting in the city, voters rank up to five preferences on their primary ballots. Support for the lowest-finishing candidates is then reallocated to those voters’ next choices, and the process continues until two candidates are left.

The city Board of Elections plans to release the results of those initial allocations next Tuesday.

Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman from Queens who would be the city’s first Muslim mayor if elected, gained steam in the closing weeks of the race as he pitched a progressive vision for the city. He centered his energetic campaign on tackling higher costs and promising progressive policies that would be paid for in part by raising taxes on the rich.

Born in Uganda, Mamdani grew up primarily in the…