Zohran Mamdani, a New York State Assemblyman and democratic socialist mayoral candidate for New York City, topped former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to win the June 24, 2025 Democratic Party primary. (Bing Guan/Reuters)
Cuomo added that Mamdanie ran "a really smart and good and impactful campaign. Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won."
'GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA' PHRASE STIRS TENSIONS ON NYC CAMPAIGN TRAIL AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT RAGES
As the unofficial results of the first round of voting trickled in, in which Mamdani was leading as of Tuesday night, Cuomo told his supporters that his campaign would be "having conversations" about how to proceed to help both the Democratic Party and New York City moving forward.
"Now I want to look at all the numbers, as they come in and this ranked choice voting and, what the numbers actually say and do," Cuomo added.
A Cuomo campaign aide, following the former governor's speech, said Cuomo was leaving the door open for a possible run as third party or independent candidate in November.
"I want to look at all the numbers as they come in and analyze the rank choice voting. I will then consult with my colleagues on what is the best path for me to help the City of New York, as I have already qualified to run for mayor on an independent line in November," Cuomo said in a statement..
Former New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the frontrunner in the race for the New York City Democratic Party mayoral primary, speaks to a large crowd of union supporters, on primary eve, June 23, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
Cuomo's campaign in the closing weeks of the primary criticized Mamdani as a "dangerously inexperienced legislator" while touting that the former governor "managed a state and managed crises, from COVID to Trump."
"The mayor of the city of New York is the CEO of one of the largest corporations on the globe. This is not a job for a novice," Cuomo said on the eve of the primary. "This is not a job... for on-the-job training. We need someone who knows what they’re doing on day one because your lives depend on it."
Cuomo and his campaign also targeted Mamdani for his controversial and defiant stance against Israel, which critics suggested touched on antisemitism.
"We are against calls to globalize the intifada, declaring open season on Jewish people. We are against those who would glorify Hamas terrorists, who are destined to kill Jewish people," Cuomo said on the eve of the primary as he took aim at Mamdani.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was elected in 2021 as a Democrat, is running for re-election this year as an independent candidate. (NYC Mayor's Office)
Adams' poll numbers were sinking even before he was indicted last year on five counts, which accused the mayor of bribery and fraud as part of an alleged "long-running" scheme to personally profit from contacts with foreign officials.
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The mayor made repeated overtures to Trump, and the Justice Department earlier this year dismissed the corruption charges, so Adams could potentially work with the Trump administration on its illegal immigration crackdown.
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cuomo-concedes-nyc-democratic-primary-mayor-congratulates-aoc-endorsed-mamdani