NEW YORK (AP) — In a remarkable political journey, Zohran Mamdani was elected as the mayor of New York City on Tuesday. At 34, the state legislator is poised to become the most progressive leader the city has seen in decades.

Representing a significant win for the progressive faction of the Democratic party, Mamdani triumphed over former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Now, he faces the daunting task of managing the complex needs of America’s largest city while fulfilling what some critics view as overly ambitious campaign pledges.

Mamdani’s victory is historic on several fronts: he will be New York City’s first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian descent, and the first African-born individual to hold the office. Additionally, when he assumes his role on January 1, he will be the youngest mayor the city has had in over 100 years.

His unexpected success offers momentum to those within the Democratic party advocating for a shift towards more progressive candidates, challenging the notion that centrists are necessary to reclaim swing voters who have turned away from the party.

However, Mamdani has already drawn criticism from the national Republican scene, including from President Donald Trump, who portrays him as emblematic of what they argue is an increasingly radical Democratic Party.

The election saw the highest voter turnout for a mayoral race in more than five decades, with over 2 million New Yorkers participating, according to data from the city’s Board of Elections.

At his victory party in Brooklyn, Mamdani supporters cheered and embraced, some tearfully, after The Associated Press called the race. Campaign posters flew through the air, as one person hoisted the official flag of New York City and Bad Bunny played from the speakers.

Mamdani’s X account posted a video of a subway train pulling up to City Hall station, with an announcement that said, “The next and last stop is City Hall.”

Mamdani’s grassroots campaign centered on affordability, and his charisma spoiled Cuomo’s attempted political comeback. The former governor, who resigned four years ago following allegations of sexual harassment that he continues to deny, was dogged by his past throughout the race and was criticized for running a negative campaign.

There’s also the question of how he will deal with Trump, who threatened to take over the city and to arrest and deport Mamdani if he won. Mamdani was born in Uganda, where he spent his early childhood, but was raised in New York City and became a U.S. citizen in 2018.

Mamdani must now start building for his ambitious agenda

Mamdani, who was criticized throughout the campaign for his thin resume, will now have to begin staffing his incoming administration before taking office next year and game out how he plans to accomplish the ambitious but polarizing agenda that drove him to victory.

Among the campaign’s promises are free child care, free city bus service, city-run grocery stores and a new Department of Community Safety that would send mental health care workers to handle certain emergency calls rather than police officers. It is unclear how Mamdani will pay for such initiatives, given Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s steadfast opposition to his calls to raise taxes on wealthy people.

His decisions around the leadership of the New York Police Department will also be closely watched. Mamdani was a fierce critic of the department in 2020, calling for “this rogue agency” to be defunded and slamming it as “racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety.” He has since apologized for those comments and has said he will ask the current NYPD commissioner to stay on the job.

Mamdani’s campaign was driven by his optimistic view of the city and his promises to improve the quality of life for its middle and lower classes.

But Cuomo, Sliwa and other critics assailed him over his vehement criticism of Israel ’s military actions in Gaza. Mamdani, a longtime advocate of Palestinian rights, has accused Israel of committing genocide and said he would honor an arrest warrant the International Criminal Court issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

How Mamdani won over the city while Cuomo faltered

Mamdani began his campaign as a relatively obscure state lawmaker, little known even within New York City.

Going into the Democratic primary, Cuomo was the presumed favorite, with near-universal name recognition and deep political connections. Cuomo’s chances were buoyed further when incumbent Mayor Eric Adams bowed out of the primary while dealing with the fallout of his now-dismissed federal corruption case.

But as the race progressed, Mamdani’s natural charm, catchy social media videos and populist economic platform energized voters in the notoriously expensive city. He also began drawing outside attention as his name ID grew.

Mamdani ultimately trounced Cuomo in the primary by about 13 points.

The former governor relaunched his campaign as an independent candidate for the general election, vowing to hit the streets with a more energetic approach. However, much of his campaign continued to focus on attacking opponents. In the race’s final stretch, he claimed Mamdani’s election would make Jews feel unsafe.

Meanwhile, supporters packed Mamdani’s rallies, and he held whimsical events, including a scavenger hunt and a community soccer tournament.

Cuomo also juxtaposed his deep experience in government with Mamdani’s less than five years in the state Legislature. But the former governor also faced his own political baggage, as his opponents dredged up the sexual harassment allegations that led to his resignation, as well as his decisions during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sliwa, the creator of the Guardian Angels crime patrol group, also had his moments — mostly in the form of funny quips on the debate stage — but had difficulty gaining traction as a Republican in an overwhelmingly Democratic city.

He conceded the race about a half hour after the polls closed, telling supporters: “We have a mayor-elect. Obviously I wish him good luck because if he does well, we do well.”