On Tuesday, November 4th, 2025, the city changed this fall, and so has its mayor. Zohran Mamdani won the 2025 mayoral election in a historic race, becoming the first Muslim mayor in New York history on Thursday, January 1st, 2026, the date of his inauguration. Mamdani faced off against opponents Curtis Sliwa and Andrew Cuomo, winning 50.4% of all votes cast. Here’s a recap of the two other contenders for New York’s mayor, as well as an overview on Mamdani and his vision for the city.

Curtis Sliwa

Curtis Sliwa, born in Canarsie, Brooklyn, was the Republican nominee for this year’s election. He is most well-known for his role in the creation of The Guardian Angels, a nonprofit public safety group that currently has branches internationally. His signature look is his iconic red beret, part of his Guardian Angels uniform. He is known for his love of cats and animals, a large part of his 2021 campaign for mayor. Sliwa has also run in the 2021 mayoral election, in which he lost to current mayor Eric Adams.

Curtis Sliwa’s campaign revolved around topics such as public safety and crime, with his 100 day plan for the city posted on his website. Sliwa intended to expand the NYPD by 7,000 officers, hire more station agents to prevent fare evasion, and reinstate the NYPD’s Homeless Outreach Unit. Another notable promise of his was to reform Rikers Island, New York’s infamous mega-prison located on the East River. Rikers Island is currently set to shut down by 2027, though both Sliwa and Cuomo promised to maintain its existence. 

Being the city’s Republican nominee, Sliwa was not as popular as his other two opponents. This may mainly be because New York is a blue state, and because Sliwa has not held any previous roles in government. Polls showed him trailing in third place, garnering around ten to twenty percent of voters consistently. In his marketing, he portrayed himself as a true New Yorker. Sliwa frequently spoke on violent incidents all over the city, and often called out how other candidates do not acknowledge these individual events. Furthermore, he frequently depicted himself taking public transportation, and has stated that it is important that mayoral candidates take public transit in order to understand its danger and problems.

Sliwa’s mayorship was endorsed by former mayor Rudy Giuliani and former governor George Pataki, as well as The New York City Council Minority Delegation. President Trump has stated that Sliwa is “not exactly primetime,” and does not seem to believe that Sliwa is qualified for the position of mayor. His opponent Andrew Cuomo believes that the race will ultimately come down to him and Mamdani, with Sliwa and Adams (who dropped out) serving as “spoilers.” Despite multiple cries for his withdrawal, Sliwa refuses to drop out. Sliwa left his job as a talk show host at WABC after host Sid Rosenberg publicly backed Cuomo and urged Sliwa to drop out.

Andrew Cuomo

Andrew Cuomo, former governor of New York and a member of one of the city’s most famous families, ran as an independent in the New York City mayoral race. Cuomo declared himself an independent in July after he lost the Democratic primaries to Mamdani. Andrew Cuomo was born in Queens to former governor Mario Cuomo and former first lady Matilda Cuomo, and attended Fordham University in the Bronx. His past experience includes being a former governor, working as his father’s campaign manager, being a New York district attorney, and serving as the attorney general for the city until 2010. 

Cuomo’s campaign was mainly based on improving quality of life for New Yorkers and providing stability to the city. Some goals on his website included reforms to the NYPD, decreasing the cost of living, combating antisemitism, and making access to health services accessible to all New Yorkers. Concerning economics, Cuomo intended to convert office-buildings to residential buildings in order to restore the city’s central business districts, and invest in infrastructure throughout the five boroughs. 

According to polls from The New York Times, Cuomo was consistently trailing about ten to fifteen percent behind Mamdani, which made him the next likely candidate for mayor after Mamdani. His marketing showed him advocating for his mayoral abilities while putting down his opponents. A majority of his advertising opposed Mamdani, who he perceived as his main opponent. Cuomo seemed to attract the opposite demographic of Mamdani’s, receiving 42% of first-choice votes from voters over 50 in a poll from AARP. 

In the past, Cuomo has faced flak for his handling of the COVID pandemic, undercounting nursing home deaths significantly. He also faced sexual harassment allegations from several women, which led him to resign as governor in August 2021. His endorsers included Jim Walden, State Senator Sam Sutton, former governor David A. Paterson, the Crown Heights United PAC, and the Asian Wave Alliance. President Trump has stated that Cuomo had a “good shot” of becoming mayor, and had seemingly shown a preference towards him.

Eric Adams

Despite dropping out of the race, Eric Adams still held the position of the New York City mayor for the remainder of the year until Thursday, January 1st, 2026, the date of Mamdani’s inauguration. Adams ran for mayor alongside Zohran Mamdani, Curtis Sliwa, and Andrew Cuomo, until late September 2025 where he announced that he would be ending his campaign. The cancellation of his campaign comes amid accusations of corruption in his administration, making Adams incredibly unpopular among New Yorkers. A poll from Quinnipiac University found that Eric Adams had the lowest approval rate for any New York City mayor since they began polling 30 years ago, and only 18% of all surveyed voters believed that Adams was “honest and trustworthy.” 

After dropping out, Adams endorsed Cuomo’s bid for the mayoral position despite previously calling him a “snake and a liar.” Before he leaves his position as mayor, Adams may change members of the Rent Guidelines Board, interfering with Mamdani’s plan to freeze rent for New Yorkers.

Zohran Kwame Mamdani

A Bronx Science alumnus, Zohran Kwame Mamdani is a socialist Democrat born in Kampala, Uganda. He was brought up in New York from the age of seven, and he attended the Bronx High School of Science, graduating in 2010. He notably co-founded the school cricket team and became one of the Editors-in-Chief of The Science Survey, (this very newspaper!). After graduating, Mamdani worked as a foreclosure prevention housing counselor; he then served as the representative for the 36th Assembly District in Queens.

Mamdani’s campaign is mainly focused on giving back to the middle and lower classes of the city, making it easier for New Yorkers to live their day-to-day lives. His most notable campaign promises are freezing rent for all stabilized tenants, eliminating the fare for city buses, and the creation of city-owned grocery stores and housing. As mayor-elect, Mamdani intends to create The Department of Community Safety, a brand-new city agency that aims to create mental-health campaigns, fund hate-prevention programs, and stop violence in city subway systems.

Zohran Mamdani became the front-runner for the position of mayor from early in the race, likely due to his flashy, modern, and up-to-date advertisements that have been taking social media by storm. Mamdani’s fast, engaging editing has earned him an audience with younger demographics, and he led in the majority of polls during the race. Furthermore, Mamdani ran a grassroots campaign, using volunteers from all around the city to promote voting.

Despite this, Mamdani came under fire from Fox News, Republicans citywide, and his opponents. His opponents have stated that he does not do enough to combat antisemitism, and that he often avoids questions on important parts of his campaign and identity such as ballot proposals for housing and his support on the Israel – Palestine conflict. President Donald J. Trump has stated on his social media site Truth Social that Zohran Mamdani is a communist, and that he would not be making funds available for his new programs and laws if he is elected. Mamdani’s supporters include New York City comptroller Brad Lander, former mayor Bill de Blasio, and former vice president Kamala Harris. Opponent Andrew Cuomo stated that Mamdani becoming mayor would allow for President Trump to take control of New York as he has done in other major cities across the country. Cuomo also believes that Mamdani lacks experience, and has repeated it multiple times.

As mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani has become the youngest mayor in a century, making his election a milestone in New York’s history. In a speech he gave the night of Election Day, Mamdani thanked immigrants and working-class New Yorkers for what they provide to the city, his 100,000 campaign volunteers, and the youth of the city for believing in him and his mission. He reiterated his commitments for the future, including creating a Department of Community Safety, stabilizing rent for New Yorkers across the city, and hiring thousands of additional teachers. Mamdani finished his speech off by directing his focus to the millions of people living in the city, promising a brighter New York under his mayorship.

Zohran Mamdani has won the 2025 mayoral election in a historic race, becoming the first Muslim mayor in New York history.