Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani took the stage at an election night rally in Queens over thunderous applause from a packed crowd that topped 10,000 attendees. His speech came just hours after AP announced he had won the mayoral election in a landmark victory.

“The sun may have set over our city this evening. But as Eugene V. Debs once said, ‘I can see a dawn of a better day for humanity,’” Mamdani told the crowd.

“For as long as we can remember, the working people of New York have been told by the wealthy and the well connected that power does not belong in their hands,” he continued. “And yet over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands.”

Addressing his felled opponents, Mamdani used the state to take a victory lap, just hours after Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa conceded at his election night event and minutes after Andrew Cuomo made a concession speech in Manhattan. 

“My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty. I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life,” Mamdani said. “But let tonight be the final time, I utter his name, as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few,” he continued. 

On January 1, 2026, Mamdani will be sworn in as the 111th mayor of New York City, making him the first Muslim and South Asian person to take the position.

“And that is because of you,” he continued over raucous applause from the crowd. “So before I say anything else, I must say this. Thank you. 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.”

At 9:37 p.m., the Associated Press officially called the New York Mayoral election: Democrat Zohran Mamdani has been elected the next mayor of New York.

At The Free Press’ watch party in Chinatown, the crowd, which packed the room to capacity, erupted in a variety of gasps, boos, and cheers. Faces were frozen in shock throughout the room, as attendees varied on the political spectrum.

Sam Cohen, 24, the Chief of Staff of The Bench, the space hosting the watch party, said that the result left him “a little bit disappointed, but not surprised.”

“I think [Mamdani] ran an electric campaign and is the formidable candidate, but he doesn’t exactly represent my views in how I think New York should be governed,” Cohen said.

He said that he wishes Eric Adams, the current Mayor of the city, who ended his struggling reelection campaign in late September, would have had the chance to be reelected. Cohen emphasized that Adams did “great things” for affordable housing and “strikes a balance between being a real New Yorker who understands what it’s like to live in the city,” while also supporting progressive agenda items.

One of his issues with Mamdani, Cohen added, is that he “doesn’t understand public safety.”

Meanwhile, in the Upper West Side, Curtis Sliwa made a speech among a crowded room of hundreds of supporters and media just after 9:23 as polling results rolled in for Mamdani.

Among the crowd of supporters was Former New York Governor George Pataki, the most recent Republican governor in the state’s history. Speaking with The Beacon, he affirmed that, for him, the future of the Republican Party in New York “absolutely” runs through Sliwa.

Sliwa himself refused to comment on whether he would pursue another election bid in the future.

Conceding the race before stepping off stage, Sliwa galvanized around hopes of Republican victories throughout other ballot races in the election and affirmed the ideals of the electoral process.

“This is a setback tonight, but this is what democracy is about,” he said.

“We have a mayor-elect. Obviously, I wish him good luck because if he does well, we do well,” Sliwa said as polling announced Mamdani as the winner of the race. “And let me warn our new leader. If you try to implement socialism, if you try to render our police weak and impotent, if you forsake the people’s public safety, we’re not only organizing, but we are mobilizing,” he continued. “We will become the mayor-elect and his supporters’ worst enemy.”

Sliwa reflected on his campaign and what he called “some of the most powerful people in the world [who] mobilized to silence us.”

Down in Midtown, Andrew Cuomo has yet to take the stage at his own watch party. Cuomo watch party attendee Gigi S. said she was disappointed in early results that showed Mamdani leading over the former governor.

“I thought the Wall Street billionaires, all the people on Park Avenue, were a little bit smarter,” she said, referencing how New York is the financial capital of the country.

After the polls closed at 9 p.m. in New York City, the early voting results were released, showing Democratic Candidate Zohran Mamdani holding a lead over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who stayed in the race as an Independent after losing to Mamdani in the primary.

Mamdani received 51.5% of the total votes, Cuomo gathered 39.7% of the vote, and Republican nominee Sliwa trailed far behind his opponents with 8% of the vote. Rudy Giuliani was the last Republican mayor of the city, serving two terms from 1994 to 2001.

This year marked the highest early voting turnout for a non-presidential election in the city, with over four times as many early votes cast as in the last mayoral election in 2021. If Mamdani wins the election tonight, he will become the youngest mayor of the city at 34 years old, as well as the first Muslim and South Asian person elected to the office. Currently, 52% of the votes have been counted. When the winner will be announced is still uncertain.

Founder and CEO Emily White spoke about youth voter turnout as the #IVoted concert in Manhattan began just before the New York City polls closed at 9 p.m. EST. 

The concert requires attendees to submit a photo of themselves at their polling place or with their blank mail-in ballot, or alternatively a reason why they cared about voting if they were underage, to obtain an RSVP. Launched in 2018, the concert series produced the largest digital concert in history during the pandemic. The event is also completely free. 

“The quotes we’re getting from fans are like, this is my first concert, I’ve never been able to afford tickets. I’ve never voted before. Now I’m excited too,” White said in an interview with The Beacon. 

Though the event is non-partisan and meant to focus on voter turnout, White said it is impossible to deny the impact that Zohran Mamdani’s campaign has had on young voters in New York and beyond. 

“No matter what your beliefs are, a lot can be learned from the [marketing of] the campaign,” she said. “It’s a reminder that issues matter.”

IVoted has been running digital voter registration for this mayoral election, hoping to expand their digital campaigns in preparation for the upcoming midterms and the general election in 2028. 

“We had over 3,000 people take action to get in tonight,” White said.

A former music executive, White said she and her team use their management expertise to organize events catered toward specific communities, choosing artists based on trending data metrics for a given area, while centering the concerts around the importance of voting. 

“We know how to target fans that can really make an impact,” she said.

Between a former governor, the founder of the Guardian Angels, and a Democratic Socialist gaining the nomination for the first time, many New Yorkers have been turning their attention to safety as a hot-button issue, and the number one priority of this election.

One such voter was Natalie from Queens, who declined to give a last name for safety reasons. At the Free Press’ watch party in Chinatown, Natalie spoke to The Beacon, and said she’s a born and raised New Yorker who fears even riding the subway anymore because of “rampant crime.” Because of that, she cast her vote for Andrew Cuomo today, and though she’s nervous for tonight, she’s staying hopeful.

“I personally appreciated him as a governor…I also think a lot of people are influenced by social media, which has been painting him in a very negative light,” she said. As both a female and a self-identified “progressive,” she said she does not recall any “negative memories” from Cuomo’s time as governor.

“I felt things took a very dark turn when Kathy Hochul took his position,” she said. “As a woman…I do not feel safe walking down the streets that I grew up in.”

Although violent crime reached record highs in 2020 and 2021 – during the pandemic – shooting incidents and shooting victim numbers fell to record lows this fall, according to the New York Police Department. Other types of crime have not yet fallen below pre-pandemic levels.

With just about a half hour to go until polls close in Tuesday’s election, roughly 200 supporters of Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and members of the media packed the small bar and Italian restaurant Arte Cafe on Manhattan’s Upper West Wide.

Across from a lone podium emblazoned with Sliwa’s logo in front of an LED backdrop, television cameras warmed up as campaign workers and members of the Guardian Angels, a crime prevention group founded by Sliwa, began to mingle and take pictures next to pro-Sliwa signage.

Joseph Carrasquillo, a former Guardian Angel from The Bronx, New York, told the Beacon why he voted for Sliwa.

“I support [Sliwa] because he means affordable housing and affordable New York”, Carrasquillo said, “he’s going to keep the trains and streets safe and he knows what it is to be a protector for New York.”

Working under Sliwa as a Guardian Angel is an honor for Carrasquillo.

“It’s a good experience, you get to meet people, protect people, make sure the streets are safe,” Carrasquillo said.

Carrasquillo denied to comment on Sliwa’s recent spike in popularity after the debate, saying that New York needs to have all people protected, and that Sliwa has always been better than any other candidate.

“He’s a founder of the Guardian Angels, He knows what it means to keep people secure, safe, and make the people feel safe as well,” Carrasquillo said, “New York needs a good mayor like Curtis.”

According to Lance Finkelstein, a worker for the Sliwa campaign, a lot of his popularity can be attributed to work of younger staffers like himself who helped capitalize on social media as a tool for GOTV messages.

“We live in a different generation now, social media has obviously taken a huge role,” he said. “We’ve been using social media to obviously get out the vote. Zoran did the same thing … And honestly, we’ve been having a great response.”

Many have called Tuesday’s election an unwinnable race for Sliwa, currently polling between 14-16% percent on Election Day, and figures across the political spectrum have called for him to drop out and consolidate support around independent candidate and former governor Andrew Cuomo.

“A lot of people say we have no shot to win. You know, a vote for Curtis is a vote for Zohran [Mamdani]. But to be honest, I just think that’s straight nonsense,” Finkelstein told The Beacon, adding that Cuomo’s disparagement of New York conservatives in the past means he was never an alternative to Republican politics or a better choice for Sliwa voters. He continued that, despite the polls and discourse surrounding calls for Sliwa to drop out, he likely has more support than people credit him for.

“If you walk around, every single person likes Curtis. There’s nobody that dislikes him. Everybody respects him,” Finkelstein said.

Russell Nicholas, a lifelong Brooklyn native at Sliwa’s election night event said his mentality going into the election was elect “anyone but Mamdani.”

“Realistically, I just hope Mamdani doesn’t win, so the city doesn’t go to shit,” he said, adding that he is mostly scared the Democratic Socialist would increase crime in the city.

“He doesn’t want to prosecute most misdemeanors. He probably will try to completely get rid of bail … it’s a whole list, I could go all night.

Turning attention to Sliwa, Nicholas praised his public safety work and commitment to the city dating back decades as the founder of the Guardian Angels.

“[Sliwa] actually cares about the city, he was born and raised in the city. Unlike Mamdani [who] wasn’t born here,” he said.

Finkelstein expressed hope for the future of conservative politics in New York following Sliwa’s mayoral campaign, win or no win. Sliwa’s support in this year’s election, while surging in recent weeks, is not set to outpace even his final numbers in the 2021 election, where he lost by a landslide to Mayor Eric Adams and only garnered 28% of the vote.

“Everybody says if you can get 30% in New York City, then in the state you can win. Because if you look at the state, the state is really all Republican,” Finkelstein said, adding that this bodes well for Republican candidates like Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is likely to pursue a bid for the governorship in 2026.

However, even New York State has not seen a Republican governor since George Pataki , who left office in 2007.

“If we can get 30% of the vote … that really gives us a shot for Republicans that take back New York state in the upcoming years,” he said.

The New York City mayoral race is heating up as polls near closing at 9:00 p.m. So far, the voting turnout for the elections has reached record highs, with numbers the highest it has been since 1993, with 1.9 million voters turning out. Since 6:00 p.m., the total number of votes reached more than 1.85 million, including today’s ballots, mail-in, and early voting. A final wave is expected to hit the polls before they close as more New Yorkers head to vote after work.

The race between Mamdani, Cuomo, and Sliwa is one of the most-watched elections in New York and around the country. As the mayor is elected for America’s biggest city, the results are considered representative of political headwinds ahead of the 2026 midterms. Mamdani remains in the lead with an average poll rating of 44%, Cuomo at 38%, and Sliwa at 19%.

The City Board of Elections is expected to start releasing results once polls close at 9 p.m. The first results that come in will likely be from early voting. It is unclear how long it will take for a winner to be determined. If the race is close, it could take hours, or even days, for the winner to be determined. On the other side, if the race isn’t close, it could be a matter of minutes. In 2021, the mayoral election was called for Eric Adams just 20 minutes after the polls closed.

Multiple Manhattan democrats, including Leader of the New York County Democrats Keith L.T. Wright, Assemblymen Jordan J. G. Wright and Harvey Epstein, and  Former Lower East Side District Leader Daisy Paez, welcomed Mamdani in Lower Manhattan in the early afternoon. 

Paez told The Beacon that she thinks Mamdani’s campaign has been received well by many New Yorkers because he has given people who are struggling hope that integrity, faith, and neighborly support can be restored.

“My message directly to him is: You gave a very hopeful platform, and people believed in you while you spoke,” she said. “I’m hoping that you do at least 95% of what you say you’re gonna do… because if you let us down, we’re really screwed.”

The NYC mayoral race isn’t the only race to watch this evening.

In Mass., 55 cities and towns held municipal elections this Tuesday. Boston residents will elect new City Council leaders for four open at-large Councilor seats.  In District 3 and District 8, incumbents John FitzGerald and Sharon Durkan run unopposed. Mayor Michelle Wu runs unopposed for re-election.

In New Jersey, Democratic U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill is vying for the governor’s seat, with former Republican U.S. Representative Jack Ciattarelli running as the Republican. Every General Assembly seat is up for re-election. The race is tight, but polls suggest Sherrill has maintained a lead over her opponent. This is Ciattarelli’s third try for the highest seat in New Jersey politics. Polls in New Jersey close at 8 p.m.

In California, voters will vote on a ballot referendum to redraw California’s congressional districts. The referendum, called Prop 50, would benefit Democrats in the nation’s biggest state. Gov. Gavin Newsom made the proposal to counter similar referendums in Republican led states – specifically, Texas, which passed a ballot measure in August favoring more Republican seats in the House of Representatives.

Just moments ago, polls closed down in Virginia, where current Lieutenant Governor Republican Winsome Earle-Sears faces off against Democratic former U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger. Either way, the race will end in a historic first: the first female governor of the Old Dominion State. The race has made national headlines after texts from Democratic candidate for Attorney General, Jay Jones were leaked wherein he called for political violence against a fellow elected official. Per the latest Key Race Alert from CNN, Spanberger leads at 64.7% over Sears – though this is just “a fraction of the vote.”

Mamdani made a surprise appearance at the ABC Playground in Lower Manhattan to talk to voters and thank them for their support. 

“I think the first message [to young people] would be thank you, because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them,” Mamdani said to The Beacon. 

In the June primary, young voters (ages 18-29) had the highest turnout of any age group, helping to secure Mamdani as the Democratic nominee for the city. The progressive candidate has consistently targeted Gen Z voters throughout his campaign by using social media to address their concerns, like the rising cost of living.

Mamdani said that he views Election Day not as a last hurdle in the mayoral race, but rather as a moment to reflect on the work his campaign accomplished ahead of today.  

“The moment that we are at right now is one that over 100,000 volunteers have brought about,” Mamdani said to The Beacon. “These are volunteers that, as of last count, knocked on more than 3 million doors in the city.” 

Voter turnout in the NYC primary has already hit record-highs compared to the last decade. Multiple voters told Mamdani and The Beacon that his campaign gave them hope in politics for the first time in a while. 

“[The volunteers] reshaped politics across the five boroughs, and they’ve done so out of a belief in what the city can be, should be, and will be, and I’m just so thankful to be a part of that movement,” he said. 

In preparing for Election Day, Mamdani told The Beacon which song he used to hype himself up and celebrate his campaign. 

“It’s gotta be ‘Right Above It,’ by Lil Wayne featuring Drake,” he said.

His classic red beret sticking up over a line of raised microphones and cameras, Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa addressed the media on a busy street corner in Middle Village, Queens. He was flanked by his campaign staff and members of the Guardian Angels, a nonprofit crime prevention he co-founded in 1979, as he attempted to distance himself from both of his opponents in the final hours of election day.

Reflecting more on Trump’s endorsement of his opponent, former governor Andrew Cuomo, Sliwa called Cuomo “due facce,” Italian for “two-faced” candidate. Cuomo, now running as an independent candidate, originally ran as a Democrat, but lost the June primary to current frontrunner Zohran Mamdani by a considerable margin.

“He will tell the Democrats, no, [Trump] has not endorsed me. He doesn’t want me as mayor because he knows I’m gonna fight him. And then he tells the Republican, see, Trump is endorsing me, not Sliwa,” Sliwa said. “But this is typical Andrew Cuomo. He pivots and shifts depending on the situation, and that’s why nobody likes him.”

Sliwa continued that he doesn’t think the endorsement, which came the night before election day, will generate that much propulsion for Cuomo, who still trails Mamdani by 6 points, despite leading Sliwa by 10 points in the latest polls.“By the way, you don’t start the night before,” he said. “Being in the streets, I see the Zohranistas, our people are out there. I don’t really see Cuomo doing a get-out-the-vote effort. This whole campaign is based on fear, fright, and hysteria.”

When asked why he was so ready to criticize Cuomo but not Trump, who endorsed his opponent, Sliwa said he would have welcomed Trump’s endorsement, but it was never offered.

“This is an election about the people. It’s not an election about the president or anyone else,” Sliwa said. “We’ll see by tonight if his endorsement of Cuomo in the last waning seconds … If that tricknolgy worked, I don’t think it would.”

Reflecting on his own ability to pick up votes in what has become a contest between him and Cuomo to lead the anti-Mamdani opposition, Sliwa said he has picked up his “fair share of Democrats.”

Sliwa said many efforts have been made to make him drop out of the race, including reiterating claims, which the Cuomo campaigned has since denied, that wealthy allies of the former governor attempted to bribe him with $10 million to quit his bid.

“Then they threatened to kill [my wife] and me, and for the first time in my life, I have armed security with me,” he said. “That’s how treacherous this campaign has become, because of the heated rhetoric and the dystopian attitude of Andrew Cuomo, the Prince of Darkness.”

He said a lot of Gen Z and millennial voters have come onboard his campaign as opposed to Cuomo’s because of widespread objection to Cuomo over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, resignation from the governership amidst sexual harassment allegations, and corruption allegations leveled at his adminstration.

“This iconic red beret has stood with so many positive things protecting people. A new generation thinks it’s very cool, it’s very hip, it’s very happening,” he said.

When asked if he would partner with Mamdani to drop out of the race or accept an administration position from him – something viewers have speculated about dating back to a moment of apparent kinship between the candidates during the last debate – Sliwa became fired up.

“Let me tell you something, let me set you straight … how many times did I say I’m not dropping out … every freaking day,” Sliwa said. “Am I partnering up with Zohran Mamdani? … I have nothing to do with Zohran Mamdani. In fact, when he was on the stage and he said, I would rank choice Curtis, I said, ‘don’t be glazing me,’ cause I have nothing in common with your ideology.”

Sliwa continued, voice raised, to distance himself from the other candidates.“They are my two political enemies. There is no difference between Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani,” he said.

While making the rounds to polling locations during election day on Tuesday, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa spoke to The Beacon about his feelings on voter turnout and polling projections outside Alfred J. Kennedy School, an elementary school in Whitestone, Queens.

“The billionaires, the influencers, the insiders are not gonna pick the next mayor,” Sliwa said of record-high levels of turnout in Tuesday’s election and in early voting. “People have died in battle so that people can vote and exercise free speech. That’s what I represent as the Republican nominee,” he said.

When asked about President Trump’s endorsement of independent candidate and former Democratic New York governor Andrew Cuomo, a question which elicited boos from the roughly dozen supporters outside the school, he said that the president is entitled to his own point of view.

“I really felt the president would spend more time on the issues that are significant to the world … but he’s free to weigh in,” Sliwa said. “As to whether it has any impact. He’s the guy who said that Andrew Cuomo was a lousy governor.”

Sliwa then turned his attention to Cuomo’s political record and told The Beacon that, “He needs to go back to the Hamptons with his billionaire friends and just retire from politics. He added that he believes Cuomo will lose the general election like he lost the Democratic primary in June. “We found out exactly how bad Cuomo was with the deaths of 15,000 elderly people [during COVID], and he can never be forgiven for that. Never, ever, ever, that’s a stain on his soul, that to this day, he refuses to apologize for it,” Sliwa continued.

Reflecting on his success on social media, which in part has been credited with driving his surge of momentum in the final weeks of the election, Sliwa told The Beacon that younger members of his staff intentionally worked to harness this new media reality to spread his message.“And I just happen to be a wordsmith,” Sliwa, who worked in conservative talk radio for decades before his political candidacy, added. “I don’t process what I say, like Zohran Mamdani or Andrew Cuomo … I don’t change from circumstance to circumstance. I always keep it real.”

Sliwa also condemned Elon Musk, another prominent right-wing figure who threw support behind Andrew Cuomo right before election day.

“[Cuomo wined, dined, and pocket-lined [Musk] with New York State tax dollars. We want it back … We know why you would support Andrew Cuomo,” Sliwa said, referencing state-subsidized projects under the Governor’s term that benefited companies tied to Musk that were also tied up in accusations of corruption.

Sliwa also placed blame on Cuomo for the success of Zohran Mamdani’s campaign, amid calls among many across the political spectrum for him to drop out and give the former governor a better chance of beating the Democratic frontrunner.

“[Cuomo] ran a primary that allowed Zohran Mamdani to become the candidate he is, because Andrew Cuomo feels he’s entitled … Cuomo does not represent [these neighborhoods], nor does Zohran Mamdani. I represent them, and we’ll see by tonight if that’s enough to give me an edge,” Sliwa said.

He also expressed support for incumbent City Council candidate Vickie Paladino, who represents District 19 of Northeast Queens, and was also at the Alfred J. Kennedy School meeting with constituents. Over a dozen community members stood outside the school distributing literature and waving signs in support of her and Sliwa.

Reflecting on how she would approach a Mamdani mayoralty if she wins back her City Council seat and he wins the election, Paladino said that smart politics means finding ways to collaborate, especially as a member of a council that has historically had only a Republican minority.

“[If] that means making friends that means making friends but [also] disagreeing because anybody who knows Vicki Paladino knows that she will stand her ground no matter what she believes in,” she said.

Paladino, whose districts represent the largely Italian-American community of Whitestone, said she despises identity politics and the question of whether Cuomo or Sliwa, who both share Italian ancestry, will better represent the interests of Italian-Americans.

“Female, male, black, white, green, blue. I don’t care. Gay straight, I don’t really care what, I care about is how you think and what your vision is,” Paladino said. She said that Sliwa’s vision for New York is one of change.“We’ll get more cops, we won’t close Rikers Island, we will see what we need to see as far as bringing back war and order,” Paladino said, adding criticisms of Mamdani, calling him a “liar.”

“Zoran’s got an agenda, he’s pre-scripted, he just became a citizen seven years ago. My opinion shouldn’t even be running,” she said. “He’s not ready for the job.” 

Republication candidate, Curtis Sliwa, had a 12:00 pm campaign event outside of Alfred J. Kennedy School, a voting center in Whitestone, Queens, NY. The Beacon spoke with voters who had just cast their ballots.

“The biggest issue New Yorkers are facing is the election of a communist,” said Paul Mannix, from Whitestone, Queens, NY.

Mannix believes the only choice is Sliwa. Saying that Independent Candidate, Andrew Cuomo, is also a “mess”.

“The public safety, the common sense, the sound fiscal management, the fact that he’s been in this city and of this city for decades,” said Mannix, “I don’t see it down.”

Trump’s endorsement of Cuomo was disappointing news to Mannix.“I understand, you know, everybody’s looking at the math and the polls, I’m still disappointed, but that’s life,” said Mannix.

On the other side of the political aisle, Ryan D, a Target Team Leader also from Whitestone, Queens, NY, voted for Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.

“I make pretty decent money, and I still could not afford to live here if I didn’t live with my parents,” Ryan D said. “I think that Mamdani will make changes to make the city more affordable.”

Ryan D. found Sliwa’s commitment to the campaign endearing, saying he had respect for him for staying in.

On the other hand, he felt that Cuomo was definitely not an option due to his sexual assault allegations.

“I did not want to vote for somebody who’s been credibly accused of being a sex pest by more than a dozen women.” Ryan D said.

Ryan D believes that Mamdani’s goals align with his, and he hopes Mamdani will be the right choice.

“Not sure he’ll succeed, I just felt that was the best bet.” Ryan D said.

New York City voters have begun to flock the the polls for the 2025 mayoral elections. There, they will choose between three candidates: Mamdani, Cuomo, and Sliwa.

Democrat Zohran Mamdani is currently in the lead and has made history as the first Muslim mayoral nominee. If he wins, Mamdani will be the youngest mayor of the city, at 34 years old. He has campaigned on policies that focus on social programs and wealth distribution. If elected, he has vowed to implement rent freezes, fare-free buses, free childcare, city-owned grocery stores, and more. He claims he will fund these programs through taxation of the city’s wealthiest residents. Mamdani has emboldened a younger voter base who see him as a new kind of politician, and “appear most drawn to his message over any political label from either democrats or the GOP,” according to NPR. He has been endorsed by Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, among others.

Independent Andrew Cuomo is the second behind Mamdani in the polls. As the previous Governor of New York, who resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations, he has leveraged his administrative experience as a central argument to his mayoral campaign, calling Mamdani inexperienced. Originally running in the Democratic primary, Cuomo lost the bid to Mamdani before running as an independent. His campaign has courted more centrist voters and has emphasized issues around affordability, crime reduction, and education. These policies include building new affordable housing, expanding healthcare, reducing class sizes in schools, and adding 5,000 police officers to address quality of life crimes, subway conditions, and street homelessness. Cuomo has been backed by political and business leaders alike, including President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Trump has threatened to pull funds from New York City if Mamdani wins the mayoral race.

Republican Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, a non-profit crime prevention organization, is last in the polls. A majority of his campaign has run around crime, safety, and affordability. This includes the implementation of 7,000 new police officers and revamping several major police units, which critics say have historically led to increased racial profiling, and overhauling the current affordable housing programs. Voters on all sides of the political spectrum have called on Sliwa to step away from the race, seeing his exit as the only way for Cuomo to have a shot at winning.

A key development in the final days of the electoral race has been the endorsement of the Democratic former state governor Andrew Cuomo, now running as an independent, by prominent right-wing figures Elon Musk and President Donald Trump.

“Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Monday night, just hours before the opening of election day voting. This post followed a “60 Minutes” interview over the weekend in which the president also voiced support for Cuomo, who he dubbed a “bad Democrat,” over current election frontrunner and Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, who he called a “Communist.”

“It is my strong conviction that New York City will be a Complete and Total Economic and Social Disaster should Mamdani win,” Trump continued in his post, adding threats to cut funding from the city should Mamdani take the mayoralty.

In his same message, Trump expressed a lack of confidence in the chances of Curtis Sliwa, the Republican mayoral nominee, who trailed both Cuomo and Mamdani going into Tuesday. He urged voters away from casting their ballots for the 71 year old Sliwa, saying a vote for him would only help Mamdani.

In an appearance on Fox and Friends early Tuesday morning Cuomo addressed his endorsement by the Republican president, who he has routinely distanced himself from during the campaign.

During his media appearance, Cuomo admitted that Trump’s endorsement will aid him in the election. “If they don’t vote for Sliwa, they would vote for me,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo said that the election is about more than party lines, and voters across the aisle must keep Mamdani from winning.

“Donald Trump is pragmatic, he is telling them the reality of the situation which is if you do not vote Mamdani is going to win,” Cuomo said. “So Republicans you have to get up and come out and vote even if you’re not voting for a Republican you’re voting to save New York City.”

“This election is not about Democrat [or] Republican, it’s about saving the city,” Cuomo said. 

This election, voter turnout expectations are high – close to 2 million voters are predicted to cast their ballots by the end of Election Day. In the primary, voter participation reached its highest level in over a decade. During the early voting period, which ended Sunday night, more than 735,000 people cast ballots. This is the highest early in-person turnout ever for a mayoral election in New York City, and more than four times as many early votes as in the last mayor’s race in 2021.

Sliwa was among the early voters. Mamdani voted near his home in Queens around 8 a.m. this morning and Cuomo cast his vote at the Art and Design High School in Midtown East Manhattan at 10 a.m.

After the polls close at 9 p.m. tonight, New Yorker’s will have chosen a new mayor from the top three contenders: Democratic nominee and New York State assembly man Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of the state running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the primary, and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee. If Mamdani, 34, wins, he will make history as the youngest mayor in over a century and the first Muslim and South Asian person to ever lead the city.

The latest Emerson College Polling data shows City Councilor-at-large Zohran Mamdani with a 25-point lead over former Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Mayoral race. The polling from October 25-27 is outside the Polling Center’s margin of error, and cites coalition building across “key demographics” as the reason for Mamdani’s “significant lead” over the former Governor. Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa maintains third place, though his support has grown from 10% to 21%.