NEW YORK — In a groundbreaking election, Zohran Mamdani has secured the position of New York City’s mayor, as projected by ABC News.

This triumph marks a significant win for the progressive faction of the Democratic Party, as Mamdani overcame challenges from former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Now tasked with managing the relentless demands of America’s most populous city, Mamdani faces high expectations to fulfill his bold – and to critics, overly ambitious – campaign pledges.

His historic victory makes Mamdani the first Muslim, the first of South Asian descent, and the first African-born individual to hold the mayoral office in New York. When he assumes office on January 1, he will also be the youngest mayor the city has seen in over a century.

Mamdani’s unexpected ascent is a testament to those Democrats advocating for the party to champion more progressive candidates, rather than centrist ones, in order to reclaim voters who have drifted away.

However, his rise has not come without contention. National Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have been quick to label him as emblematic of what they perceive as a shift toward a more extreme Democratic Party.

This election witnessed the highest voter participation in a mayoral race in over five decades, with the city’s Board of Elections reporting more than 2 million New Yorkers casting their votes.

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.