New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has emerged on stage waving and smiling as the crowd roars with cheers and chants of “Zohran!”
Mamdani says today’s win is for the more than 100,000 volunteers “who built this campaign into an unstoppable force”.
“Because of you,” he says to those volunteers, “We will make this city one that working people can love and live in again.”
As Mamdani builds up the momentum of his speech, he repeats the word “hope” several times.
“Today we have spoken in a clear voice: hope is alive,” Mamdani tells supporters.
“Hope” of course, is famously associated with Barack Obama, another young Democrat that conquered the political world by running a campaign based on a promise of change.
Mamdani cultivated a similar energy from his base, which is now being expressed in deafening cheers from thousands of supporters here.
“This will be an age where New Yorkers will expect of their leaders a bold vision,” Mamdani says.
“New York City, breathe this moment in.”
“We have held our breath for longer than we know. We have held it in anticipation of defeat. Held it because the air has been knocked out of our lungs too many times to count. Held it because we cannot afford to exhale, thanks to all of those who sacrifice so much.”
“We are breathing in the air of a city that has been reborn.”
People react to Mamdani at Manhattan watch party
People in the bar scream “Mashallah habibi”, an Arabic phrase that means “God has willed it”.
People also go crazy at Mamdani’s mentions of toppling Cuomo.
Mamdani thanks wife and parents for support
Mamdani continues his speech with an emotional tribute to his parents and wife.
He says to his parents: “You have made me into the man I am today. I am so proud to be your son.”
To his wife Rama, he says, there is “no one I would rather have by my side in this moment and in every moment”.
“My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty,” he tells the crowd.
He tells his opponent Andrew Cuomo: “I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life”.
“But let tonight be the final time that I utter his name,” he adds.
Mamdani goes on to talk about his platform, saying voters have delivered a “mandate for change” and a “mandate for a city we can afford”.
Mamdani begins to highlight the diverse New York voting groups who helped power his campaign, including “Yemeni bodega owners” and “Senegalese taxi drivers”, Uzbek nurses and Ethiopian “aunties”.
As Mamdani strides out on stage, the crowd roars.
From my spot right at the front, it feels like a wall of sound coming at me.
Behind us is a sea of phones and Mamdani signs.
People are packed in, beaming. This is a huge moment for the young and progressive voters who backed his campaign.
Mamdani says today marks the dawn of a better day for humanity.
“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,” Mamdani says.
“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,” he says, as the crowd cheers.
Bernie Sanders re-pledges his support for Mamdani
Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont who grew up in Brooklyn, is rejoicing in Mamdani’s win.
After starting at 1% in the polls, Mamdani “pulled off one of the great political upsets in modern American history”, Sanders, who endorsed the Democratic socialist in June, writes on X.
“We CAN create a government that represents working people and not the 1%. I look forward to working with Zohran as he builds a city that works for all.”