Zohran Mamdani has been elected mayor of New York, a meteoric rise for a self-described democratic socialist who was a virtual unknown a year ago.
The 34-year-old is the youngest mayor in the city for more than a century.
Mamdani rode to a comfortable victory on a wave of discontent in the city.
He ran his campaign on cost-of-living issues.
Among his proposed policies are a rent freeze, free buses, city-owned grocery stores and a $US30 minimum wage.
But his campaign was dogged by criticism of his positions on Israel, describing the actions of the Netanyahu government in Gaza as a “genocide”.
Turnout in the Big Apple was the highest it has been since 1969, with a surprisingly high number of young voters casting a ballot.
Mamdani won the Democratic primary earlier this year with a substantial lead over former governor Andrew Cuomo.
Cuomo is a heavyweight in the Democratic Party but was pressured into resigning his office after a series of sexual misconduct accusations.
“My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty,” Mamdani said in his victory speech.
“I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life, but let tonight be the final time I utter his name.”
Among a crowded field, Mamdani rose from obscurity to frontrunner thanks in large part to his upbeat and engaging TikTok content.
With so many politicians uncomfortable on social media, Mamdani was a natural.
And it resulted in a massive surge in support among young voters.
“Thank you to the next generation of New Yorkers, who refuse to accept that the promise of a better future was a relic of the past,” Mamdani said.
After the primary loss, Cuomo announced an independent run for mayor.
But as polls closed, it was readily apparent Cuomo did not have enough support to win.
In his concession speech, Cuomo called for unity.
“We will all help any way we can because we need our New York City government to work,” he said.
“We want it to work for all New Yorkers because our city is the greatest city in the world.”
Republican Curtis Sliwa has not cracked double digits at the current count.
Incumbent mayor Eric Adams dropped his re-election bid after polling showed him in a distant fourth place.
Since 2021, Mamdani has served as a member of the New York State Assembly.
Mamdani was born in Uganda and moved to New York City as a seven-year-old.
His father Mahmood is a high-profile academic and his mother Mira Nair is a director, best known for the Denzel Washington-starring Mississippi Masala and Monsoon Wedding.
He retains his Ugandan citizenship and is a Shia Muslim.
He got married earlier this year after meeting his now-wife on the dating app Hinge.
