The New York City Democratic primary ended in shock early Wednesday as Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Democratic Socialist state assembly member delivered a stunning upset victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo — triggering an immediate and unhinged response from the MAGA political ecosystem.
Mamdani secured 43.5 percent of the vote compared to Cuomo's 36.4 percent, defeating the longtime political heavyweight by more than 70,000 votes. Despite Cuomo's original frontrunner status and backing from MAGA-aligned billionaires, the progressive candidate emerged victorious.
He is presumed to be the next mayor given New York City's strongly Democratic election leanings.
The result sparked an instantaneous conservative backlash. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) launched a fundraising email declaring the potential Mamdani mayoralty a "doomsday scenario," baselessly claiming he was a "Hamas Terrorist sympathizer" who would threaten "every principle we hold dear as freedom-loving Americans."
Despite repeated attempts to vilify Mamdani, who is Muslim and has advocated for Palestinian rights, he has consistently affirmed his commitment to Jewish community safety. He pledged to increase anti-hate crime funding by 800 percent and explicitly supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.
Right-wing provocateurs like Laura Loomer escalated rhetoric to absurd levels. She claimed, "There will be another 9/11 in NYC" and said he is "literally supported by terrorists," even sharing a fabricated AI-generated image of Muslims praying in Times Square.
Other MAGA figures joined the panic. Stephen Miller labeled Mamdani an "anarchist-socialist" and blamed "unchecked migration" for reshaping the electorate. Senator Ted Cruz dramatically invited New Yorkers to "Come to Texas! We love freedom and we're not nuts," while Megyn Kelly proclaimed, "Thank God we left NYC."
Online, Tennessee-based Pastor Greg Locke, a far-right Christian nationalist, tweeted, "NEW YORK CITY has fallen. The demonic sounds of Islamic prayer calls will soon be heard throughout the streets. The trash will pile higher than ever. Jews and Christians will be hated. Rape will skyrocket. NYC will be the next London."
Mamdani's platform of progressive policies—including free public transit, childcare, and rent control—drew endorsements from figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and terrified conservative commentators.
During the campaign, Mamdani proposed redirecting police funding to a "Department of Community Safety" focused on prevention through social services and mental health support. His nuanced approach to public safety and progressive values clearly resonated with New York City voters, despite aggressive attempts to paint him as a radical.