The months-long race for New York City mayor has come to an end, and Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is set to take his spot in City Hall in January as the youngest mayor in the city’s history. 

This race received national attention, both on social media and from President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama. It also had the highest voter turnout in New York City since 1969, with more than 2 million voters. Mamdani’s campaign in particular was historic; he entered the race as an unknown figure and ended up winning the five-way Democratic primary with a resounding 12.8 point victory. 

As of 10 p.m. Mamdani received 50.3% of the vote. The Independent candidate, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, FCRH ’79, received 41.6%. The Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa, came in third with 7.1% of the vote. 

Fordham University students and alumni voted in this election, showing their support for each of the three candidates. 

Emma Kelner, FCLC ’29, voted for Cuomo and shared her opinions on the election via Instagram. 

“I agree with his platform … and I also fundamentally disagree with the other two candidates’ platforms,” she said. “Zohran wants to kill the [Gifted and Talented] program, has not shown any sign that he will do his part to keep Jews in NYC safe from violent protestors and hate crimes, and he doesn’t actually have the authority to do most of the things he’s promising.”

Cuomo’s campaign focused on public safety, education and childcare. After losing the primary, he ran as an Independent candidate on the Fight and Deliver line. 

Affordability was a key concern for many voters, and a large aspect of Mamdani’s campaign. 

“I definitely think that people should be allowed to live here and people shouldn’t be forced out just because things are getting more expensive,” said Danny Barrón, FCRH ’26, who voted for Mamdani. “As someone who wants to move here, affordability is a thought for me, but also what matters more is the people that already live here get to stay here.”

Cuomo’s reported history of sexual harassment was also taken into consideration by voters like Lindsay Laubacher, GSE ’26, who said, “Especially with Cuomo’s history and sexual assault cases, and we’ve got someone in office as our president with similar cases, it breaks that sense of distrust and gives us a hope that things will actually change.”

Gonzalo Duran, PCS ’14, campaigned for New York City Public Advocate this election and said via Instagram that he is voting for Sliwa. 

“Over the past nine months, I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with him—protesting, marching in parades, and witnessing firsthand the incredible energy he brings to every corner of this city. I’ve also seen how deeply he’s respected and admired across party lines and among every community New York City has to offer,” he said. “I’ve watched him work tirelessly to help fellow candidates get on the ballot and keep their campaigns alive. That kind of dedication is rare in politics.”

Many Fordham students switched their registration to New York to vote in this election.

Ian Colton, GSB ’27, was one of those who switched their registration.

“Switching registration was super easy! It was a simple process where I filled out a form online, entered the Fordham address as my address (since New York students can register using their school address), and clicked a box to confirm I was switching my registration to a new state,” he wrote via Instagram.

Colton was able to vote via a hybrid, in-person and mail-in process while abroad in London, England and said the campus provided numerous resources to make the process easier.

“Fordham London had an organization come in to help us send ballots to our local elections,” he said. “They provided registration forms, envelopes, stamps, everything we needed to send our ballots back home. And there were volunteers there to walk us through the whole process. It was actually very nice, and well advertised to all of us abroad here.”

When Mamdani was declared the winner, members of The Fordham Ram spoke to students to hear their reactions. 

“I think it’ll be really interesting to see if socialism, in the economic capital world, works within a system. Because Ronald Reagan said … that socialism works until you run out of money. And unfortunately for New York, it is the place where you do have the most amount of money in a small area,” said Eli Kaufman, FCRH ’28. “I think there [are] a lot of people that are against [Mamdani’s] policies, and we’ll kind of see how that turns out, if he can actually get things done that he says he wants to get done [I think it’s] gonna have a big effect on American politics.”

The greater Fordham neighborhood voted predominantly for Mamdani, with him receiving more than 70% of the area’s vote.

Georges Mimassi, GSB ’29 has concerns about Mamdani’s economic policy.

“I’m an international student here, but obviously I’m a little bit worried about the rising of corporate tax and how that’s going to affect [Fordham’s] own recruiting for firms, if that’s going to mean that firms are going to relocate out of New York to other places,” he said. “Obviously, it’s important to help the people of New York and making New York cheaper. I think everyone agrees with that, but the repercussions — are they going to outweigh the benefits?”

Mamdani will be the city’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor, as well as the first democratic socialist to hold the office.