Fresh from an upset in the NY primary, Mamdani calls for Democratic unity

Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani took a victory lap on WNYC’s "The Brian Lehrer Show" Wednesday, saying his historic showing in Tuesday’s mayoral primary is a sign that voters are looking for a shakeup in the Democratic party.

Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, ran a grassroots campaign relentlessly focused on affordability, moving a lot of younger voters to the ballot box, defying polls and upending conventional political wisdom.

With 99% of scanners reporting Wednesday morning, Mamdani garnered 43.5% of ballots, with a commanding lead over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 36.4%, all but guaranteeing him the Democratic nomination for mayor — though the contest will technically be decided by a ranked-choice tally on July 1.

“It's part of a long-needed recognition that our democracy isn't just under attack from an authoritarian administration in Washington D.C.,” Mamdani said Wednesday. “It’s also under attack from a withering faith in its ability to resolve the most pressing crises in New Yorkers' lives.”

The election was seen by some as a test for the Democratic Party's future after a devastating defeat in the 2024 election cycle, when President Donald Trump made electoral gains over his 2020 performance. Mamdani launched his campaign as a relatively unknown local politician last October, offering a left-wing option that focused on affordability and equity for working-class New Yorkers.

Cuomo joined the race in March with outsized name recognition, running a campaign that argued his political know-how made him the best candidate to restore order in New York City and face off with Trump.

On Wednesday, Mamdani said he believed his message had resonated across the city even with voters who had opted for Trump in the last election, helping to secure his victory.

“ I think that generally in politics, the instinct has been to convince others how correct you are with whatever opinion it is that you have,” he said. “It has been tempting, I think, for some to claim as if the party has gone too left, when in fact what has occurred for far too long is the abandonment of the same working-class voters who then abandoned this party.”

Mamdani remained diplomatic on Wednesday when asked if he had any words for former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who threw his personal wealth at Cuomo’s super PAC. Mamdani praised Bloomberg’s focus on parks, pedestrians and bikes, and said his focus was “on bringing the city back together.”

Cuomo conceded Tuesday night just an hour-and-a-half after polls closed. Seemingly anticipating the loss, he told supporters he had called Mamdani to congratulate him.

“ It was befitting of this moment in that there was a recognition of what this movement had achieved and an understanding that what comes next is not going to look like what has already transpired,” Mamdani said of the call on Wednesday.

Lehrer also asked if Mamdani had any words for what appears to be his biggest opponent heading to the general: Mayor Eric Adams, who will run in the general election as an independent.

"I have long been running against Eric Adams, the second term, for a number of months,” he said. “I'm excited to once again share a very contrasting vision for delivering a city that New Yorkers can afford — an alternative to that which they have been living through for the last few years.”