Zohran Mamdani Wins Democratic Primary for Mayor
No. 433 | Monday, June 30, 2025
The Thorn is published weekly by the Electoral Working Group of the NYC Democratic Socialists of America.
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Election News
Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani is the presumptive winner of the Democratic primary for mayor, leading former Governor Andrew Cuomo by 7 points after the first round of votes. Mamdani surged to victory with high turnout across the city. A full breakdown of ranked-choice voting is expected to be released on Tuesday.
Major labor unions and several Democratic lawmakers are coalescing around Mamdani in the wake of last week’s primary win.
Some establishment Democratic politicians such as Governor Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have declined to endorse Mamdani so far. Senator Kristen Gillibrand went one step further, unleashing an Islamophobic rant when discussing Mamdani during an interview on WNYC.
City Comptroller Brad Lander finished third after the first round of voting, but celebrated alongside Zohran Mamdani as part of a successful team effort to defeat Andrew Cuomo. Lander and Mamdani had cross-endorsed each other, forming a friendly coalition encouraged by NYC’s ranked-choice voting system for primaries.
Andrew Cuomo is weighing whether to stay in the race and run on an independent ballot line in the general election as many in the former governor’s orbit consider what went wrong.
Mayor Eric Adams launched his re-election campaign with the assistance of indicted ex-staffer Ingrid Lewis-Martin.
City Council Members Shahana Hanif and Alexa Avilés handily defeated primary challengers well funded by pro-Israel PACs and corporate donors. Hanif spoke on WNYC to discuss her and Zohran Mamdani’s victorious campaigns.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams comfortably won his primary challenge from Assembly Member and notorious Eric Adams ally Jenifer Rajkumar.
If elected Mayor, Zohran Mamdani’s agenda may need to clear some obstacles in Albany.
Representative Elise Stefanik is raising money for a run for Governor.
Assembly Member Jessica Gonzalez Rojas is considering running for State Senator Jessica Ramos’s Queens district, in light of the Senator’s underwhelming mayoral run and endorsement of Andrew Cuomo.
Local News
The Mayor and City Council announced a budget deal that includes a pilot for universal childcare, a policy prominently featured in Zohran Mamdani’s primary campaign.
Workers at the Legal Aid Society, NYC’s largest public defender group, are set to vote on a possible strike.
The LIRR is finally getting a new set of train cars.
Assembly members and advocates frustrated with inaction on proposed climate and environmental bills are turning their scrutiny to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.
Carolyn McCarthy, former nine-term Congresswoman and gun regulation advocate, passed away.
The NYC Local
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