by Xinhua writer Li Xirui

NEW YORK, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old New York state assembly member from the Queens borough, declared victory in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor on Tuesday, while his main opponent, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, conceded defeat.

"I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City," Mamdani told supporters.

By 9 p.m. EST Tuesday (0100 GMT Wednesday), more than 930,000 New Yorkers had cast their ballots despite sweltering afternoon heat.

In the first round, Mamdani won 43.51 percent of the votes, followed by Cuomo's 36.39 percent and the New York City Comptroller Brad Lander's 11.33 percent, according to election night results issued by the New York City Board of Elections.

With New York City adopting a ranked-choice voting system, the final outcome will not be known until July 1, unless a candidate secures more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, in which case no further tabulation is needed.

Mamdani, a young politician with a relatively short political track record, has campaigned on progressive policies such as free public transit, a rent freeze, and city-owned grocery stores. He gained traction through viral campaign videos and was the first candidate to reach the city's fundraising cap, drawing strong support from younger voters.

Mamdani has now overtaken Cuomo, who is backed by establishment Democrats and wealthy donors. Cuomo emphasized his record on infrastructure, pandemic response and raising the minimum wage, but continued to face scrutiny over allegations of sexual misconduct and his combative leadership style.

Still, Cuomo applauded Mamdani for a "really smart" campaign. "Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won," Cuomo said as quoted by the New York Times.

The New York City's incumbent mayor Eric Adams, under investigation for corruption, opted out of the Democratic primary and is running as an independent.

The winner in the Democratic primary will face Adams, Republican Curtis Sliwa and former federal prosecutor Jim Walden, running as an independent, in the general election in November.

While the administration of Donald Trump dropped charges against Democratic mayor Adams, tensions remain between the Republican-led White House and the Democratic-controlled city and state.

New York City is grappling with a cost-of-living crisis, as well as Trump's increasingly aggressive push on immigration and transportation -- issues that have taken center stage in the mayoral race.

At the same time, the administration is pushing to kill New York City's congestion pricing plan -- a controversial tolling initiative aimed at easing traffic in Manhattan's busiest areas and generating critical infrastructure funding. A federal judge has issued a temporary block on the plan.

While winning the primary does not guarantee victory in November, Democrats hold a dominant share of registered voters in New York City, giving the party's nominee a strong advantage. If elected, Mamdani would be the first Muslim mayor in the city. ■