Record Voter Turnout Produces Stunning Upsetand Decisive Wins

By Mary Alice Miller
Queens Assembly member Zohran Mamdani became the presumptive Democratic nominee for the November General Election. “In the words of Nelson Mandela, it always seems impossible until it is done,” said Mamdani during his election night remarks. “My friends, we have done it.”

Mamdani received 432,305 votes (43.5%) in preliminary election results, over second-place Andrew Cuomo, who garnered 361,840 votes (36.4%). The next round of rank-choice votes may place Mamdani over the 51% needed to win, with second-rank votes from Brad Lander, who cross-endorsed Mamdani.

Thirty-three-year-old Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, was given a 1% chance of winning when he began his campaign eight months ago. But his campaign mirrored that of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who beat 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley with a ground game that reached out to young voters and those disillusioned with the electoral process.

Mamdani campaigned on free city buses, city-owned grocery stores, and higher taxes on the wealthy. Born in Uganda, Mamdani became a citizen in 2018. If elected in November, Mamdani would become the first Muslim mayor in city history.

The Democratic establishment rallied around Cuomo, perhaps due to their relationship with him during his 10 years as governor. Those endorsements, Cuomo’s hubris, his name recognition and the record millions in support from super PACs netted Cuomo a paltry second place in first rank votes.

Perhaps the nail in the coffin was during a rare debate appearance when Cuomo could not name one time he had visited a mosque during his years as HUD secretary, New York State Attorney General, and Governor. The increasing diversity of New York City is not impressed by candidates who cater to some demographic groups to the exclusion of others.

New York City voters might not have heard the last from Cuomo. He has positioned himself to run in the November General Election as an independent, along with Mayor Eric Adams. With the majority of NYC voters registered as Democrats, both men will have to make a compelling case to overcome voter party loyalty.

It’s no surprise that Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine won the most first rank votes over City Council member Justin Brannan, 428,283 (48.1%) over 298,690 (33.5%). Most voters may not have known one candidate over another, but Levine’s campaign worked hard to build his name recognition in the outer boroughs.

Those voters familiar with the candidates remember Levine’s work in the city council and that in 1994 he founded Neighborhood Trust Federal Credit Union, a cooperatively-owned financial institution serving low-income families in the Washington Heights section of Northern Manhattan.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams won a resounding re-election victory with 630,095 votes (71.3%). Williams is known throughout the city for his advocacy. And voters were offended when, during a debate, challenger Jenifer Rajkumar questioned his sleeping habits as if she is privy to what goes on in the Williams household.

Brooklyn showed how it is done when voters re-elected Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso with a decisive 241,149 votes (77.1%). Reynoso has used the power of his office to reach all neighborhoods in Brooklyn while making special efforts to provide opportunities to communities in need.

Central Brooklyn City Council race results were mixed.
Boom! Crystal Hudson won re-election to her council seat with a staggering 32,560 votes (84.7%). Council member Chi Osse returns to the council with 22,368 votes (78.4%). And Mercedes Narcisse was re-elected with 12,768 votes (82.9%). These percentages speak to how well these incumbents serve their constituents.

The outlier was Council member Darlene Mealy, who got 6,603 first rank votes (43.2%). Her top three challengers, Lawman Lynch, Jammel Thompson, and Bianca Cunningham received combined almost as many votes as Mealy. It will be interesting to see how many rounds it will take for Mealy to win re-election.

Ultimately, the voters were the winners.
The first weekend of Early Voting for the Mayoral Primary saw a record turnout of 66,000, dwarfing the first weekend of Mayoral Primary Early Voting four years ago by 36,000.
Those numbers continued to grow. By the end of Day Nine of 2025 Primary Early Voting, turnout was a cumulative 384,338. As usual, Brooklyn showed everyone how it is done by leading the city in turnout.

Unofficial election night results include first-choice votes from early voting, election day, and any valid mail ballots canvassed, but do not include affidavit ballots.

The first preliminary Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) results will be released on Tuesday after election day (July 1). Updated RCV will then be posted every Tuesday until all ballots are counted and the election is certified.