Editor’s Note: The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.

Bronx Science alum, Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (A.D. 36), the Democratic mayoral nominee, was elected the 111th Mayor of New York City on Election Night, Nov. 4, in a historic win for the Ugandan-American, making him the first Muslim, the first South Asian, and the first African-born candidate to lead the City.

 

Around 299,042 Bronxites had cast their vote in the general election on Nov. 4 as of poll closure at 9 p.m. with final numbers still to be counted, based on early votes and Election Day votes. Mail-in ballots are also still to be counted.

An immigrant, whose parents are Indian, Mamdani, 34, a Democratic Socialist, who moved to the United States at age 7 and who became a naturalized citizen in 2018, won the race with around 50.39% of voter turnout, which, at over 2 million votes, was the largest since 1969 according to NYC Board of Elections (BOE).

 

By comparison, on Election Night in November 2021, the total voter count in the mayoral race, won by incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams, was around 158,457.

This year, the mayor-elect, beat his closest rival, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, for a second time having already won the Democratic primary in June, prompting Cuomo to run as an independent candidate in the general election.

 

Mamdani’s latest win was solidified by winning four out of the five boroughs, including, this time, The Bronx by 52%, one of two boroughs, along with Staten Island, he lost to Cuomo during the Democratic primary, despite winning the primary race outright. Meanwhile, Staten Island was the only borough to go to Cuomo in the general mayoral election. The Bronx Democratic Party had endorsed Mamdani in early September.

Mamdani’s victory celebrations took place at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater. Among those gathered inside the venue on Election Night were Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), City Comptroller Brad Lander, State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), as well as former (losing) Democratic gubernatorial primary candidate, actress Cynthia Nixon, who lost the governor’s race to Cuomo in 2018. All had backed Mamdani ahead of the Democratic primary.

 

MAYOR-ELECT ZOHRAN Mamdani (A.D. 36) walks on stage at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, NY on Election Night, Nov. 4, 2025, at his victory celebration. Video by Norwood News via YouTube

Among Mamdani’s other supporters inside the venue were seemingly members of the Indian community, the Democratic Socialists of America, various union members, including New York State Nurses Association, Muslim voters, at least one voter with a disability, and a broad mix of others, both young and old, who were seen hugging each other, some dancing, some weeping with joy.

 

MAYOR-ELECT ZOHRAN Mamdani (A.D. 36) addresses supporters and New Yorkers from the stage of the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, NY on Election Night, Nov. 4, 2025, at his victory celebration. Video by Norwood News via YouTube

In his victory speech, Mamdani quoted Eugene Debs, the American socialist, founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World, and five-time candidate of the Socialist Party of America for President of the United States, saying in part that though the sun had set over New York City, he could “see the dawn of a better day for humanity.”

 

SUPPORTERS OF MAYOR-ELECT Zohran Mamdani celebrate his victory inside the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, NY on Election Night, Nov. 4, 2025, to the sound of Punjabi MC’s “Mundian To Bach Ke / Beware of the Boys.” Video by Norwood News via YouTube

“We have toppled a political dynasty,” Mamdani said in part, before later wishing his main opponent (Cuomo) well “in private life.”

 

The mayor-elect thanked his supporters, highlighting various ethnic groups as he did so, and recommitted to his campaign promises of freezing the rent, providing free and fast buses, as well as universal healthcare.

SUPPORTERS OF MAYOR-ELECT Zohran Mamdani celebrate his victory inside the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, NY on Election Night, Nov. 4, 2025, to the sound of Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” featuring Alicia Keys.  Video by Norwood News via YouTube

He also challenged Republican U.S. President Donald Trump to “turn up the volume” since he knew he was “watching” the speech. Addressing his supporters, Mamdani concluded, “New York, this power is yours. This city belongs to you. Thank you.”

 

SUPPORTERS OF MAYOR-ELECT Zohran Mamdani celebrate his victory outside the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, NY, on Election Night, Nov. 4, 2025, singing along to Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.”  Video by Norwood News via YouTube

Reacting to the win, Ocasio-Cortez told NBC News she was not surprised by it and said across the country people were hungry for leaders who were going to “put them first.”

 

Asked how she thought the assemblyman managed to convey what some moderate Democrats, Conservatives and Republicans saw as a radical platform into one that resonated with so many voters, the congresswoman said in part, “It speaks to how far everyday people have been pushed.”

 

Asked how Mamdani’s campaign might provide a blueprint for other Democratic election wins across the country and in New York City, Ocasio-Cortez said many Mamdani voters had previously voted for Trump and that it showed there was more than one path to winning elections. “We’re laser-focused on the working class. We don’t take voters for granted,” she said in part.

In terms of the feasibility of achieving the mayor-elect’s agenda through cooperation with Albany, the congresswoman said in part that she believed New Yorkers were “pragmatic.”

 

Asked if she saw democratic socialism working in other parts of the country, the congresswoman said since she first starting voting, casting her first vote for former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2008, Democrats had been labeled by others as socialists, and she suggested that gradually, therefore, it has come to be seen as less of a dirty word essentially, and has started to actually resonate with voters.

 

Asked for her final takeaway following the historic result, the congress member said, “As dark as this time is, as challenging as this moment can be, anything is still possible in America.”

 

For his part, Lander, a Democratic primary mayoral candidate, who had cross-endorsed Mamdani in the primary, made his feelings on Election Night crystal clear, wearing a T-shirt in the style of the Mamdani blue and yellow campaign colors that read, “Good F*cking Riddance,” in reference to Cuomo.

 

Meanwhile, Rivera later said of Mamdani, “Congratulations, brother! Your victory is a testament to the power of hope & community.”

 

The senator continued, “You didn’t just win, you reignited NY’s idea of what’s possible. When I endorsed you back in April, this is the win we dreamed about. And you beat Cuomo TWICE! So excited for the work ahead.”

In his concession speech, among what he called his “New York patriot” supporters, Cuomo, who, as reported, campaigned in Bedford Park on the Sunday before Election Day, thanked former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well as incumbent mayor, the latter he said for dropping out of the race to make it “more competitive.”

 

Cuomo added that it was a very gracious thing to do. He continued in part, “This campaign was the right fight to wage.” He added that it was to “contest the philosophies that are shaping the Democratic Party,” the future of New York City, and the future of the country.

He said his campaign had transcended politics, uniting Republicans, Democrats, and Independents whose priority, he said, was citizenship of New York City. In reference to Mamdani’s campaign, Cuomo said it was important to note that almost half of New York had voted in opposition to what he said was an agenda that could not be met, in his opinion.

 

He went on to say that New York City must remain a place of entrepreneurship, opportunity and jobs, and he said police were needed to keep the City safe.

The former New York governor went on to say that the race was also “a caution flag,” indicating that New York City was “heading down a dangerous road.”

 

He added, “Congratulations to Zohran Mamdani,” before gesturing to his supporters to tamp down some subsequent booing. “Tonight was their night,” he said, adding that he and his team would help in any way they could because everyone wanted a New York City that worked for everyone. Mamdani later said that he had not spoken to Cuomo on Election Night.

Meanwhile, of her own win, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson later told Norwood News, “I am thankful to the residents, the voters, the families of the borough who reelected me to serve a second term as borough president. It doesn’t get lost on me the impact of our work, and for four years, I’ve shown up for the borough and delivered in a real way, nearly $200 million across our borough, $85 million in capital to schools across our borough, focusing on reimagining the Kingsbridge Armory, Orchard Beach, Hunts Point, closing the barge, the expansion of Metro North, thousands of units of affordable and supportive housing, home ownership opportunities, lowering the unemployment rate to 5.9%, which matters and really making sure we’re lifting up families in a real way.”

 

She added, “In the second term, I’m looking forward to doing even more partnering with community organizations, elected officials to provide our blueprint for the borough for the next four years. We have a new mayor coming in.”

 

She continued, “We’re excited about working with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and his team, and Gov. Kathy Hochul, elected officials, and we want to make sure that we focus on tourism, economic development, job growth, affordable housing, education, dealing with health disparities and dealing with and creating pathways to the middle class so families don’t have to rely on subsidies and safety net programs. We want to lift them up in a new way and you start doing that by reducing income inequality; that’s a big focus of our agenda.”

Locally, according to a breakdown by the Center for Urban Research at CUNY, most of Bronx Community Board 7, incorporating Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights, University Heights and Fordham Manor, voted for Mamdani as seen in the attached maps where Mamdani wins are denoted in blue, and Cuomo’s in green. Cuomo saw his strongest Bronx support in the northwest, which has a strong Jewish presence, and in the northeast of the borough

 

During the course of his campaign, Mamdani famously walked the length of Manhattan to talk to voters, a symbolic gesture, perhaps harkening back to the approach and days of the famous Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi.

According to the Central European University, at the age of 60, Gandhi walked 231 miles from his ashram to Dandi in India to break the law of salt tax. “Gandhi chose salt as an instrument of civil disobedience because of its importance as a basic necessity for people across all communities and not because it had a mere symbolic value,” according to an article published by the university.

 

Norwood News spoke to some volunteers and voters gathered inside the Paramount Theater on Election Night.

Asked if he was surprised at how easily the result appeared to come in the end, Farhan Mohammad, said, “No, I don’t think it was an easy win at all. I think it took a lot of commitment and persistence and consistency through all of the, I think it was, 104,000 volunteers. I’m on the board of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York. I’m the treasurer so we did a lot of organizing with Zohran and his campaign, his field leads, since March.”

 

Norwood News clarified that we didn’t mean easy in terms of the campaign, but just how quickly the race was called in the end as the results came in, adding that it seemed to take some in the room by surprise.

 

Mohammad said he was looking at the numbers around 9.15 p.m. and thought it was over by that time. Asked what Mamdani’s top three characteristics are as a leader, he said, “authenticity, compassion, and passion.”

Asked what was the hardest part of convincing voters to vote for Mamdani, a female volunteer, Sonia Alexander, who campaigned with Jews for Economic Justice, said, “Honestly, I think most people that we spoke to were really excited to hear about someone who cares about all New Yorkers, and cares about making New York affordable for all New Yorkers.”

 

She added, “There were hard parts, absolutely. A lot of people had never heard of him, the fact that he’s young, questions about his experience. I think they were some of the things that often came up the most.”

Asked if, after speaking with voters, the same voters were fully on board or were still reserving judgement, Alexander said, “Sometimes, yes. Often, we had long conversations with people where we really got to talk and share what we’re concerned about, hear what they were concerned about, and then introduce what we know and support about Zohran, and a lot of people were then open to learning more.”

 

Asked if she had also interacted with Cuomo supporters and undecided voters, Alexander said, “Yes.” Asked what was their rationale for supporting Cuomo, if they did, she said, “experience, Israel.” She added that she was mainly campaigning in Brooklyn but her organization campaigned throughout New York City.

 

We also spoke to some young people at the event who were from Texas but who, we understood, live in New York City. Asked why he had come to the event, Steven Benejay said, “I just wanted to see what Zohran was all about,” I think he’s a great guy. He seems like he has some big plans for the city and I’m really excited for that.”

 

Asked if he thought the Mamdani movement would spread across the country, Benejay said, “Yeah, it’s been an enigma in the city, so if it can grow in New York City, it can grow anywhere.”

 

Asked about affordability in Texas versus New York, he said, “It’s pretty affordable, I would say. You get things way bigger, way cheaper.” We asked if it was better value, and Benejay said, “Oh 100%. New York City is really expensive.”

We asked what he paid in rent. He said, “I pay $1,735 for one room in a four-bedroom apartment.” Asked for his thoughts on the atmosphere on Election Night, Benejay concluded, “The vibe was pretty cool. Go Zohran!”

 

We also spoke to Fatima Thiam from Mott Haven in the South Bronx. “My reaction is I’m feeling victorious,” she said. “My whole neighborhood, my district feels victorious. We spent hours and a matter of cumulative days speaking with everyone in our community to know who Zohran Mamdani is and who he represents, all of us as New Yorkers.”

 

Asked what were the questions voters had in terms of understanding who the mayor-elect is, Thiam said, “Well, one of the questions was like, ‘Is he too young?’ Some would say he’s too young because that was the highlight of the news. However, my answer to them was ageism doesn’t exist in this society. We live in the 21st century. It’s about your intellect and what’s your reasoning when it comes to humanitarianism. Zohran Mamdani is a humanitarian. Everyone is, as New Yorkers, and he represents the fundamental New York, especially in the world right now, out there on that stage.”

 

Asked if she was an immigrant, Thiam said, “Yes, I’m from Senegal.” Asked if she felt Mamdani won the immigrant vote early, Thiam said, “Of course, of course. During primaries, one of my sisters and colleague, one of the first things we did for Zohran was organize the Muslim leaders in our communities, our imams, our community organizers, and then he met with us.”

 

She continued, “We had dinner together so that was the early support from our community and also just him highlighting his mission gave us the greater hope that we had someone that supports all New Yorkers for the first time ever.”

Thiam added, “That is Zohran Mamdani and hello! We all mobilized and we went to vote, and today, I helped up to ten people to the voting polls without even getting paid to work at the voting polls because I’m doing it because I’m just a New Yorker. I help them vote because they don’t know how to speak the language and I didn’t get paid.”

 

She clarified that she wasn’t referring to registering people to vote but helping them actually vote. “They [the ten people] were there [in line] but the language they were speaking was not available on the voting card,” Thiam said, citing several West African languages, including Fulani. “It was in Spanish and English, Chinese and French, but not in our languages,” she said.

 

Attached is an overview of the unofficial results in other New York City and some north Bronx races after poll closure on Election Night.

 

The main race to watch was of course in the East Bronx Council District 13, the sole Republican-held seat, where Democrat, Shirley Aldebol, executive VP at SEIU local 32BJ, beat incumbent, one-term, Republican Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato to make the Bronx blue again.

Reflecting on her defeat, Marmorato said, “While the election results weren’t what we hoped for, I couldn’t be prouder of my team, my campaign, and everything we’ve accomplished together for District 13 over the past two years. I’m deeply grateful to my supporters, volunteers, staff, friends, and family who gave their time, energy, and hearts to this effort.”

 

She continued, “We’ve built a record of service and achievement that truly made a difference for our community and that’s something we can all be proud of. I want to congratulate my opponent, and wish her success as she takes on the responsibility of serving our neighbors.”

 

She concluded, “As for me, I’ve spent my life fighting for this community, and that’s not about to change. Stay tuned because the best is yet to come. Thank you.”

For her part, Aldebol said, “I am honored to be the councilmember-elect for the East Bronx. I want to thank every voter who supported me, and every volunteer who knocked doors, made phone calls, or handed out lit at the train station. As an organizer, I know that this is truly your victory.”

 

She continued, “I promise the people of the East Bronx that I will be a representative for us all, I’ll listen, and I’ll fight like hell safe streets, quality schools, affordable housing, and economic opportunity for every resident. There is much work to do, but today, I am hopeful and optimistic that brighter days are ahead for our communities.”

Back in Brooklyn, one attendee described the atmosphere inside the Brooklyn Paramount Theater on Election Night as “lit.” Some might say, and others might not say, that that was, and is, an apt description of the mood overall following Mamdani’s win.

 

In keeping with that “lit” imagery, and coincidence or not given Mamdani’s mother’s family are Hindu, Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights typically celebrated in October or November in India and elsewhere, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness.

 

Read more of our latest post-election coverage here.