Celebrations across NYC and world as Mamdani becomes first Muslim mayor of ‘Big Apple’

Celebrations have erupted across New York City and online, globally, as Zohran Mamdani secured a historic victory, becoming the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected mayor of the "Big Apple".

With over 90 percent of the votes counted, Mamdani, who describes himself as a Democratic Socialist, was ahead of independent candidate Andrew Cuomo by nearly 9 percentage points. 

Over two million New Yorkers voted in the election, which marks the largest turnout in a mayoral race in over half a century, according the city's Board of Elections. 

The win defied all odds, as Mamdani started the campaign as an underdog, polling at less than one percent in February.

Just four months later, he won the primary with 56 percent of the vote, after running a successful grassroots campaign mobilising tens of thousands to knock on more than three million doors in the city, according to the Mamdani campaign.

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