NYC NOW - Midday News: Zohran Mamdani Wins NYC Mayoral Election

Episode Date: November 5, 2025

Zohran Mamdani is the mayor elect of New York City. The 34 year old Democratic Socialist and immigrant from Uganda becomes the city’s first Muslim mayor after a grassroots campaign that energized young and working class voters. Meanwhile, Democrat Mikie Sherrill has been elected governor of New Jersey, defeating Republican Jack Ciattarelli in a closely watched race. And WNYC’s Brigid Bergin joins us to talk about Mamdani’s rise and what comes next for City Hall.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Wednesday, November 5th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. So, Rob Mundani, as we've been reporting, is the mayor-elect of New York City. He's also an immigrant who moved to the city when he was seven. Immigrant Rights Group Make the Road, New York, organized a watch party to await the election results last night. The crowd erupted in cheers of, or yes, he could when Mamdani won. Many people at the party canvassed across the city for MomDani

in the primary and general elections. Diane Ramirez is from Jackson Heights and she was one of them. She says she hopes he will stand up for immigrants. Immigrants are the backbone of this country and right now they're being criminalized for some reason and I'm hoping that he helps change that story around, at least in New York City. Ramirez also expects Mondani fulfill his campaign promise of free buses and child care. here. Mikey Sherrill become the next governor of New Jersey, allowing Democrats to retain control of the governor's mansion. Cheryl defeated Republican Jack Chittarelli in a contest largely seen as a political bellwether after President Trump performed well in the state last year. Six counties that went to Trump last year flipped to Cheryl this year.

Cheryl becomes the second woman to serve as governor of New Jersey. She'll succeed. Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, who is term-limited, turn on the race was high compared to four years. years ago. Good Government Group Citizens Union says New York City voters rejected a measure that would have been the first step in aligning local elections with presidential races. Supporters of the measure had argued that moving local contests to even years would boost turnout, but voters disagreed and made their voices heard in a local contest that saw record turnout. 52 and partly sunny now, mostly sunny and 63 today. Excuse me. With the light wind, then Wind gust up to 53 miles an hour.

Very strong winds gusting 50 plus miles an hour tonight. Stay close. There's more after the break. Zeran Mamdani is the mayor-elect of New York City. In the year since he launched his grassroots campaign, the 34-year-old has gone from backbench member, the State Assembly, to a household name across the USA. WIC's Bridget Bergen has been covering the raise from the start. She joins us now.

Bridgett, it looks as. as if Mum Dany will get more than a majority of the votes, Cass. He's sitting at just more than 50%. How did he win over New Yorkers? Well, Michael, you have to think back to how his campaign started. He went on a listening tour with voters, particularly Trump supporters in working class neighborhoods across the city, and he heard their concerns

about the cost of living. So his campaign focused squarely on affordability and his response to what those New Yorkers told him. That's where he got plans for universal child care, a rent freeze for those stable. tenants. You saw throughout the campaign he faced increasing attacks from his opponents over his experience, his background, and his Muslim faith, but he offered voters an alternative vision, one focused on hope. We won because New Yorkers allowed themselves to hope that the

impossible could be made possible. And we won because we insisted that no longer would politics be something that is done to us. Now it is something that we Do. And Michael, that we he is talking about are the thousands of volunteers his campaign recruited. They say more than 100,000, the million doors they knocked on, and the way more than 2 million voters that showed up in this race for the first time the city has hit turnout of more than two million voters since 1969. Um, Doni, as you said, got about half of those voters.

Former Governor Cuomo's attempt, Andrew Cuomo, attempt at a political comeback has failed. what is Cuomo's message to Mamdani during his concession speech last night? Well, there was little regret from Cuomo on the stage last night. He said he ran the right campaign to push back against the way the Democratic Party is shifting to the left. Mamdani is a Democrat and a Democratic socialist. Cuomo won 42 percent of the vote on an independent line, which he noted was slightly more than when his father ran unsuccessfully for mayor on an independent line against Ed Koch back in 1977. And he said that 42% also means this. It's also important to note that almost half of New Yorkers did not vote to support a government agenda that makes promises that we know cannot be met.

Now, Michael, he did congratulate Mamdani, eliciting some booze from his supporters, but he said he would help unite the city. And what about Republican Curtis Sliwa? He defied calls to exit the race for much of the general election. What tone did he strike during his speech to his supporters last night? Well, Slewa remained defiant. He congratulated Mum Dhani as the mayor elect, but he insisted that he's not going anywhere. We will not surrender. We will not retreat.

We will not leave the city of New York. Now, Michael, despite that aggressive tone, it's worth noting that Slewa did underperform yesterday compared to the polls we saw going into. into the race, he received just 7% of the vote. Cuomo had accused him of being a potential spoiler in this race, but given that Mamdani won more than 50%, Slewa's vote share was so small that even if Cuomo had gotten his vote, he still would have lost. Mamdani had some words for President Trump during his victory speech.

Tell us about him. Well, he addressed the president quite directly. So Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you. Turn the volume. Mamdani went on to say the city would call out bad landlords like the Donald Trumps of our city, that the city would stand alongside union workers, immigrants, people of all faiths, including Jewish New Yorkers and Muslim New Yorkers like himself.

Did the president respond? He did on Truth Social. He wrote that, quote, any Jewish person who votes for Zoram, Mamdani, the Democratic nominee is, quote, a stupid person. What do the next 58 days look like for Mamdani? Well, he will be in transition mode. That will involve setting up a fundraising committee for transition and

inauguration, raising, and spending. He already has an inner circle who has begun doing some preliminary transition work, but that activity is going to kick into high gear. We're going to see the types of individuals he surrounds himself with. He's already said he would keep police commissioner Jessica Tisch, but their deputy mayor, schools chancellor, other high-profile posts he has to fill.

The work begins now, and it's going to continue even as they finish counting those votes. That's WNYC's Bridget Bergen. Bridget, get some rest. You've been up all night on this. Thank you. Thanks, Michael. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC.

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