NYC Mayoral Primary: Awaiting Results as Mamdani Leads Early, Cuomo Fights for Comeback
NYC Mayoral Primary: Awaiting Results as Mamdani Leads Early, Cuomo Fights for Comeback
New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary concluded its voting phase on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, with polls closing at 9 p.m. EDT. However, the city now enters a multi-day waiting game for the final results, as the complexities of ranked-choice voting and the tabulation of absentee and affidavit ballots mean a winner won’t be declared for several days.
Initial returns from early voting, which ran from June 14-22, suggest a strong showing for Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who was leading with 43.1% of the vote shortly after polls closed. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, once considered the clear frontrunner, trailed in second with 34.5%, while City Comptroller Brad Lander held 12.9%.
The dynamic between Mamdani and Lander has been a significant narrative of this race. The two progressive candidates strategically cross-endorsed each other, urging their supporters to rank the other as their second choice. This tactic is specifically designed to leverage ranked-choice voting rules, aiming to prevent Cuomo from reaching the 50% threshold needed to win outright in the initial count. Both Mamdani and Lander have openly campaigned on blocking Cuomo from City Hall, with Lander even deploying robocalls to encourage voters to omit Cuomo from their ballots.
Despite the early lead for Mamdani, the race remains highly unpredictable. Pre-election polling had been inconsistent, with some showing Cuomo comfortably ahead and a last-minute Emerson College poll indicating Mamdani potentially winning after ranked-choice simulations. Veteran political observers note parallels to past insurgent victories, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s upset in 2018, questioning whether Mamdani could be this election’s surprise success story.
Meanwhile, other key figures made their voices heard on primary night. New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams addressed her supporters, joined by Attorney General Letitia James, who endorsed her mayoral bid. Elsewhere on the ballot, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who recently prosecuted a high-profile case involving former President Trump, secured a decisive victory in his re-election primary.
Voter turnout was robust, with nearly 1.1 million Democrats estimated to have cast their ballots, significantly more than the 2021 mayoral primary. This impressive turnout occurred despite scorching temperatures, which reached 100 degrees in parts of the city on Election Day. Governor Kathy Hochul even signed an executive order days prior to ensure voters waiting in line could receive water and refreshments.
The city now holds its breath as the Board of Elections begins the meticulous process of tabulating all votes. The impact of the “bullet vote” – where voters only select one candidate instead of ranking multiple – and the effectiveness of the Mamdani-Lander cross-endorsement strategy will become clear only as more results are released over the coming days, shaping the future leadership of New York City.
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