According to official results, rising star of the American left Zohran Mamdani is now the official Democratic Party candidate for mayor of New York, AFP reports.

The 33-year-old self-proclaimed democratic socialist defeated his closest rival by a large margin, winning 56% of the vote against 44% for former governor Andrew Cuomo in the third round of counting.

None of the candidates won a majority of the votes in the June 25 primary election, prompting election officials to begin a process of eliminating lower-performing candidates and recounting votes.

But after Mamdani won 43% of the vote, Cuomo, who was seeking a comeback after a sex scandal, conceded defeat on election night, a surprise result for the Democrats.

A staunch supporter of Israel, Cuomo had led in polls throughout most of the campaign, thanks to his broad popularity and the support of influential figures from the center, including former President Bill Clinton.

“Democrats have spoken loud and clear, giving a mandate for an accessible city, a policy for the future, and a leader who is not afraid to fight against rising authoritarianism,” Mamdani said.

Born in Uganda to South Asian parents, New York State Assembly member Mamdani would be the first Muslim mayor of this strongly Democratic city if he wins the general election in November.

Polls currently show him ahead of incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa for the November vote.

Adams was elected in 2021 as a Democrat but is running as an independent. Mamdani and others accuse the mayor of allowing the Trump administration to conduct immigration raids in exchange for the withdrawal of federal corruption charges against Adams.

Cuomo is still considering running as an independent, which could further complicate the race.

The mayoral race has catapulted Mamdani from obscurity in national politics, with Democrats debating whether he is too left-wing or just what they need to counter President Donald Trump's “Make America Great Again” agenda.

When asked on NBC's “Meet the Press” if he was a communist, Mamdani said no, but added: “I don't think we should have billionaires.”

“Frankly, I heard he's totally crazy,” Trump said. “I think the people in New York are crazy for going down that road.” |BGNES