Establishment loser runs against left-wing shooting star after all

No time? blue News summarizes for you

• Zohran Mamdani has surprisingly won the Democratic primary for mayor in New York City, clearly beating Andrew Cuomo.
• Nevertheless, Cuomo is not giving up and has announced that he will run again in November as an independent candidate.
• His comeback is directed against Mamdani, whom he criticizes as unrealistic - but many Democrats see Mamdani's victory as a sign of a new, stronger left.

Summary created with

Zohran Mamdani has surprisingly won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City - against former governor Andrew Cuomo. The 33-year-old socialist from Queens won with a clear message: affordable rents, better childcare and a city policy for the working majority.

However, the former governor suffered a clear defeat in the Democratic primaries.

Now he still wants to give it another go. In an Instagram video on Monday, Cuomo declared that he would run as an independent candidate in November. "The primary didn't go as I had hoped. But when you fall down, you get back up," he said. Cuomo announced that he would launch a new campaign under the party name "Fight and Deliver" - this time closer to the people, more combative and more present on the streets.

The decision divides the camp of Mamdani's opponents. In addition to Cuomo, incumbent Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa are also running. Cuomo hopes to have a better chance with a higher voter turnout in the fall. In the primary, only 13 percent of eligible voters cast ballots. "We need a city with lower rents, safe streets and where childcare doesn't break the bank," he said.

Mamdani successfully counters with Spendelink

But Mamdani remains calm. He sharply criticized Cuomo and Adams: "While they're making deals with billionaires, we're fighting for the people who really carry this city," he said, according to CNN. He only responded to Cuomo's video on X with a link to his campaign's fundraising platform.

Mamdani's appeal for donations was "liked" significantly more often than Cuomo's post.

Twitter

As reported by theNew York Timesand CNN, Cuomo's campaign was weak in the primary. He made few appearances, relied on polls and avoided direct debates. Mamdani, on the other hand, relied on volunteers, social media and clear demands. His victory is now seen as a signal: progressive Democrats can win - if they offer tangible solutions and stay close to the people.

According to his campaign team, Cuomo intends to stay in the race until at least September - unless polls show that he has no chance.