In the most shocking political surprise… Zahran Mamdani is the first Muslim to lead New York

Democratic candidate Zahran Mamdani has won the mayoralty of New York City, ushering in a new era of progressive politics in the city and reigniting debate about the future of the Democratic Party.

Mamdani, a 34-year-old with a democratic socialist bent, is about to become the first millennial and first Muslim to lead New York, in a campaign that pulled off one of the most shocking political upsets in recent memory, defeating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran an independent bid after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, as well as Republican Curtis Sliwa, in his bid to succeed Mayor Eric Adams.

Mamdani has focused largely on affordability issues, pledging to freeze rents, create city-owned grocery stores, and make buses free for commuters. He quickly became a progressive icon and a controversial figure within the party due to his positions, even dividing prominent Democratic Party leadership over whether to support his candidacy.

The Democratic Party candidate attacked Israel, accusing it of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, and said that he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he set foot in the city, stressing that New York must abide by the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court.

Mamdani also faced scrutiny for his previous statements criticizing the police and calling for reducing their funding, but he later issued a public apology to the police during an interview with Fox News.

In Virginia, Virginia Senator Ghazala Hashmi (Democrat) defeated John Reed, a conservative broadcaster and talk show host, in the race for the position of lieutenant governor of the state, becoming the first Indian of Indian origin to hold a state-level office in Virginia, and the first Muslim woman to win a state-level office in the United States.

Hashemi maintained her lead over Reid throughout the general election campaign, but the race witnessed a remarkable convergence in opinion polls during the final days before Election Day.