Indian-origin politician Zohran Mamdani wins New York City's Democratic mayoral primary

Indian-origin politician Zohran Mamdani has won New York City's Democratic mayoral primary, a new vote count confirmed on Tuesday, cementing his stunning upset of former governor Andrew Cuomo and sending him to the general election.

The Associated Press called the race after the results of the city's ranked choice voting tabulation were released.

Mamdani's win had been widely expected since he took a commanding lead after the polls closed a week ago, falling just short of the 50% of the vote needed to avoid another count under the city's ranked choice voting model.

The system allows voters' other preferences to be counted if their top candidate falls out of the running.

Mamdani, who declared victory the night of the June 24 primary, will face a general election field that includes incumbent Mayor Eric Adams as well as independent candidate Jim Walden and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Cuomo conceded defeat on the night of the June 24 primary but is contemplating whether to run in the general election on an independent ballot line.

Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and member of the state Assembly, was virtually unknown when he launched his candidacy centred on a bold slate of populist ideas.

But he built an energetic campaign that ran circles around Cuomo as the older, more moderate Democrat tried to come back from the sexual harassment scandal that led to his resignation four years ago.

The results, even before they were finalised, sent a shockwave through the political world.

Mamdani's campaign, which was focused on lowering the cost of living, claims it has found a new blueprint for Democrats who have at times appeared rudderless during President Donald Trump's climb back to power.

The Democratic establishment has approached Mamdani with caution.

Many of its big players applauded his campaign but don't seem ready to throw their full support behind the young progressive, whose past criticisms of law enforcement, use of the word “genocide” to describe the Israeli government's actions in Gaza and “democratic socialist” label amount to landmines for some in the party.

If elected, Mamdani would be the city's first Muslim mayor and its first of Indian-American decent. He would also be one of its youngest.