who did mamdani run against

Zohran Mamdani ran against Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa in the 2025 New York City mayoral election. He first defeated Cuomo, the former New York Governor, in the Democratic primary on June 24, 2025, before prevailing over Republican Curtis Sliwa in the general election on November 4, 2025.

Primary Race Breakdown

Mamdani's Democratic primary victory over Cuomo marked a stunning upset for the democratic socialist state assemblyman. Cuomo, a centrist heavyweight with business backing, led early polls but faltered amid Mamdani's grassroots surge on affordability and working-class issues. Other Democrats like Jim Walden briefly competed but dropped out, urging a consolidated anti-Mamdani front that never fully materialized.

General Election Opponents

• Andrew Cuomo (Democrat) : Advanced to the general after primary loss? No—lost primary but context shows his shadow lingered; Mamdani faced him earlier.

• Curtis Sliwa (Republican) : Guardian Angels founder pushed "tough on crime" from the right, ignoring calls to exit for a stronger contender like Eric Adams.

• Minor candidates like Jim Walden stayed on ballots post-withdrawal, but Mamdani secured 50.78% in a race drawing over 2 million votes—the most since 1969.

Key Campaign Dynamics

The race pulsed with national drama: President Trump endorsed Cuomo (who distanced himself), threatened Mamdani's citizenship, and floated federal NYC takeover. Mamdani flipped scrutiny on police funding and Israel criticism into outreach, while opponents weaponized his immigrant roots and 9/11 ties. Business elites poured millions against him, fearing socialist policies.

"Mamdani became the first mayoral candidate since 1969 to receive more than one million votes."

Why It Mattered

This wasn't just local—Mamdani's win as the first South Asian/Muslim mayor signaled DSA momentum, rattling Democrats and drawing White House eyes. By January 2026, he's governing a polarized city, with recent news eyeing his role in potential Jeffries challenges.

TL;DR : Mamdani beat Cuomo in the primary, Sliwa in the general—first socialist mayor in NYC history.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.