At just 34,  Zohran Mamdani has been elected as the new Mayor of New York, beating veteran Andrew Cuomo in a record turn out.

Mamdani secured 50 per cent of the vote to Cuomo’s 42 per cent.

Labelled a communist, Mamdani describes himself as more of a democratic socialist intent on bringing transformative change to New York. He says he is a Muslim and refuses to apologise for it. 

This victory has breathed life into the Democrats and opens the door for a Presidential run by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) in 2028. 

The left faction of the party can dare to hope. Many of them believe that the Clinton, Obama, Biden era is over and that Democrats should sign onto a new agenda.

The Democrats had a good night with Abigail Spanberger elected as the new Governor of Virginia with 57.5 per cent of the vote and Mikie Sherrill securing the governorship of New Jersey with 56.2 per cent of the vote.

Democrats got the nod for Prop 50 in California with 64 per cent of the vote. This means a redistricting referendum will give the Democrats five more seats.

Commenting on the Democrats’ blue wave last night, President Trump said, “ It wasn’t a good night for Republicans. If you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor, negative for the Republicans. They say I was the biggest factor, but I don’t know about that but I was honoured that they said that.”

Both Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk called on New Yorkers to vote for Cuomo who ran as an independent.

Mamdani ran advocating for reducing the cost of living, scrapping bus fares and making food more affordable. His personality and charisma won over plenty of New Yorkers with over 2 million voting in the municipal election.

Responding to Trump’s support for Cuomo, he said: “ Trump wants Cuomo to win, not because he would be good for New Yorkers but because he would be good for Donald Trump.” 

Speaking on the Joe Rogan podcast Elon Musk said: “ Mandami is a charismatic swindler. You got to hand it to him, he can light up a stage but he has been a swindler his entire life.” 

There are those who have expressed reservations about whether the charismatic young Democrat will be able to get his agenda through. The Jewish community is closely paying attention to what he will do about increasing antisemitism.

“ If communist candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the election for Mayor of New York City it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing federal funds other than the very minimum as required to my beloved first home because of the fact that, as a communist, this once great city has zero chance of success, or even survival,” said President Donald Trump before the election.

That will be a challenge for Mamdani to overcome. The New York elites are wary of his plans for New York. The  Democrat has said that he will shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighbourhoods.”

In his concession speech, Cuomo said: “ Almost half of New Yorkers did not vote to support a government agenda that makes promises that we know cannot be met. We support an economy of jobs, opportunities and entrepreneurship; that’s what New York is all about, that’s what New York must remain.

“We are a nation of laws, and we believe in law and order and we need the police to keep society safe. We cherish our diversity and we have no tolerance for discrimination of any kind by race, religion, sexual orientation or creed. Our strength is our unity.”

Of his brother’s mayoral run this year, the broadcaster Chris Cuomo said: “Of course I wanted my brother to win, I believe in my brother. I think he is a tremendous operator within government.But he is not what Democrats want right now in their party.”

The night belonged to a jubilant Zohran Mamdani who may have sparked the resistance to Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. This was a significant victory and the Democrats will take heart from it.

“We won because we insisted that no longer would politics be something done to us, now it is something we do. Central to the vision will be the most ambitious agenda to tackle the cost-of-living crisis that this city has ever seen.

“An agenda that will freeze the rents for more than two million stabilised rent tenants. Make buses fast and free. Deliver universal child care across the city. This new age will be one of relentless improvement. We will have thousands more teachers. We will cut waste from a bloated bureaucracy,” said Mamdani during his victory speech.