Cole Welsh, Editor

In a historic victory for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani will become the next mayor of the Big Apple.

The Ugandan-born Democratic Socialist beat former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa last Tuesday.

Defeating his opponents with approximately 50% of the vote, Mamdani will become the city’s first Muslim mayor and the first of South Asian descent. At 34 years old, Mamdani will also become New York City’s youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office on Jan. 1.

On Election Day, voters came out in large numbers, with more than 2 million voters casting ballots for the first time since 1969.

While younger, more progressive voters backed Mamdani in large numbers, Republicans, moderates and older Democrats largely backed Cuomo.

Mamdani, who campaigned on a progressive economic platform to make the city affordable, became the front-runner after clinching the Democratic primary in June. Since then, the Queens resident has notched key endorsements from politicians such as former Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Kathy Hochul.

Some of his main campaign promises include making the city’s buses fare-free, freezing stabilized rents, raising taxes on the wealthy, establishing city-owned grocery stores and reassigning some of the duties of police officers to social workers.

However, the mayor-elect has also faced backlash over the feasibility of his proposals and his controversial views on issues such as policing.

On the campaign trail, Mamdani was criticized by both Cuomo and Sliwa for his past comments referring to law enforcement as racist and calling for defunding the police.

His candidacy was also met with trepidation by many Jewish New Yorkers, who have taken issue with his steadfast support for Palestine and his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Last month, Mamdani drew outrage when he posted a smiling photo with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a Brooklyn Muslim cleric who defended the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and other convicted terrorists.

Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a more moderate Democrat, initially ran for a second term, despite a scandal-plagued first term. After President Trump’s Justice Department dropped the corruption case against him, he announced his reelection bid in June as an independent. However, he dropped out in late September after failing to gain traction in the polls and secure enough campaign dollars.

In less than a week after his victory, Mamdani has hit the ground running with several key personnel selections. He announced that Dean Fuleihan, a City Hall veteran who has worked in government for nearly five decades, will be his first deputy mayor. For chief of staff, Mamadani tapped his campaign manager, fellow Democratic socialist Elle Bisgaard-Church.

Ultimately, the biggest question is whether or not NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who has overseen a decrease in crime and built support among rank-and-file officers, will remain in her position. While Mamdani has publicly suggested that he will keep Tisch, there is no guarantee that she would even accept such an offer. Some speculate that the policy differences between the two might be too large to overcome.

FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker, who also happens to be Jewish, announced his resignation just hours after Mamdani was declared the winner of the mayoral race, pointing to ideological differences with the mayor-elect.

As there are many more personnel and policy decisions ahead, it remains to be seen what Mamdani’s mayorship will look like. However, since America’s biggest city is now set to have a socialist mayor, the eyes of the country and the world will surely be on New York City come 2026.