Image source, Reuters

Mamdani says that the first thing he did on finding out that he'd won the mayoral race was "drink some water".

"It took a moment for it to settle in" he says.

Often, people describe the job of New York mayor "with the language of burden" says Mamdani.

Instead, he says he feels "opportunity to deliver for people who have come to expect so little".

He says his that he will stay focused on delivering for New Yorkers "each and every day".

With that, the news conference is over. Stick with us as we bring you more US election news and analysis.

The White House hasn't reached out to congratulate him on his win, Mamdani says.

He says he's still interested in having a conversation with Donald Trump - whether that's about "delivering on his [Trump's] campaign promises around cost of living", or the issues New Yorkers have been sharing with him about the impacts of Trump's policies.

Mamdani says the recent impact on federal food assistance, Snap benefits, is not just affecting New Yorkers who rely on the programme - which is currently facing funding cuts due to the government shutdown - but also impacts prices at grocery stores across the city.

"So I look forward to having those conversations, and to making clear that if there is ever anything to be spoken about that could benefit the people of this city, I am ready and willing to speak to anyone about it," he says.

The mayor-elect says he won't "mince my words" when it comes to Donald Trump. He says he'll keep describing Trump's actions as they are, but will always do so "while leaving a door open to have that conversation", because "it cannot be understood as if it is an argument between two individuals".

Image source, Getty Images

Mamdani is asked how he plans to balance combating Trump's threats against the city - including withdrawing federal funding from the city - and delivering on his own campaign promises for New York.

He says New York are facing "twin crises this moment - an authoritarian administration and an affordability crisis".

"And it will be my job to deliver on both. It will be my job to stand up for the city and also to ensure that we do not look at Washington DC as if it is the reason for all of the problems right here in New York City."

He adds that some of New York's problems predate the Trump administration and says he will be looking to the all-women transition team he has named today to help deliver results.

They have "a track record of being able to handle multiple crises at the same time".

Asked a question about how he will ensure the safety of Jewish New Yorkers, Mamdani says that he pledged in his speech last night that his City Hall "will stand steadfast with Jewish New Yorkers in fighting the scourge of antisemitism".

He says that he looks forward to working with Jewish leaders across the city - be they elected officials, rabbis, or community leaders.

With these leaders, Mamdani, who is Muslim, says he will "deliver on the promise of not just protecting Jewish New Yorkers but celebrating and cherishing them."

Highest voter turnout in NYC mayoral election since 1993published at 16:40 GMT 5 November 2025

16:40 GMT 5 November 2025

By Jess Carr

More than two million votes were cast in yesterday’s New York City mayoral election for the first time since the 1960s.

Democratic Party candidate Zohran Mamdani won the vote ahead of former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, with the Republican Party’s candidate Curtis Sliwa finishing third.

With almost five million registered voters in the city as of 1 November, turnout is set to be over 41%. This is the highest figure since 1993 when Republican Rudy Giuliani was first elected as mayor.

Giuliani's 1993 victory saw 57% of registered voters cast their ballot, but there has been significant downward trend in turnout ever since.

In the previous four elections fewer than a third of registered voters participated, including less than a quarter turning up for the 2021 election when Eric Adams defeated Sliwa.

Mamdani, who has received half of all votes counted so far, will become the city’s first Muslim mayor. Aged 34, he will also be the youngest to hold the post for more than a century.

When answering a question from the press, Mamdani hits out at Trump, saying he has run a mayoral campaign on the promise of cheaper groceries - but now Trump is making it harder to afford them.

"What scares Republicans across the country is the fact that we will actually deliver on this agenda," Mamdani says. "And the contrast is something that they cannot bear to witness."

He adds that what happened last night left him with great hope because many New Yorkers who had never voted before - "who had lost hope in politics years ago" - voted, producing a turnout "which we haven't seen since 1969".

We will bring you more information about voter turnout from New York from our Verify colleagues next.

Image source, Reuters

Mamdani is asked if he has received a concession call from rival candidate independent Andrew Cuomo, whom Mamdani beat in the Democratic primary in June.

The mayor-elect says that when it became clear he had won the mayorship last night, he spent time with his wife, briefly spoke to Republican rival candidate Curtis Sliwa and addressed supporters in a victory speech.

"That is always my focus, not on the candidates of this past election, but rather on the people that are so often left behind by our politics," he says.

Mamdani doesn't directly answer the question about a call from Cuomo, New York state's former governor.

Image source, Reuters

Mamdani is back up to the podium, with reporters asking questions. The mayor-elect is asked what he is going to do about federal ICE agents carrying out immigration raids in New York at the behest of the Trump administration.

Mamdani says his message "to ICE agents and everyone across this city" is that "everyone will be held to the same standard of the law".

If you violate the law you "must be held accountable" he says, and adds that he thinks there is "sadly a sense that is growing" across America that you are allowed to violate the law. He says that this applies whether you an ICE agent or the president of the United States.

According to the office of the New York City comptroller, external, "Under New York City’s local laws, New York City government agencies, such as the New York City Police Department (NYPD), do not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) except in limited situations."

Image source, Getty Images

Mamdani is speaking at the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York.

He says "New Yorkers deserves a government they can trust."

He says when he is inaugurated on 1 January 2026, it will mark "a new era for our city - one that we all feel invested in".

He then hands over to members of his transition team for their own comments.

Image source, Reuters

In the coming months, Mamdani says he "will build a city hall capable of delivering" his campaign's promises of integrity and compassionate government.

He announces some members of his transitional team, and says that he'll announce leaders overseeing his agenda "in the coming days".

These people will be united by a commitment to "solving old problems with new solutions".

Mamdani is set to become mayor on 1 January.

We are now hearing from Mamdani.

"Last night, we made history," he says. "I'm so proud to be standing here today as the mayor-elect of the greatest city in the world."

He says he will work every day to honour the trust he now holds.

"The poetry of campaigning may have come to a close last night," he says. "But the beautiful prose of governing has only just begun."

Image source, Reuters

New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is speaking to reporters about his City Hall transition process.

Following his election party speech last night shortly after winning the mayoral race, it will be his first news conference as the incoming mayor.

You can watch live above or follow along here as we bring you the updates. Stick with us.

Image source, Reuters

More Republicans are reacting to Democrats' state and local election wins last night, with US House Speaker Mike Johnson speaking outside Congress on day 36 of the federal government shutdown.

Johnson downplayed the significance of last night's results, suggesting Democrats' wins in New York, New Jersey and Virginia were expected.

"There were no surprises last night," he says.

"What happened last night was blue states and blue cities voted blue," he says referring to the colour commonly used to designate the Democratic Party in the US. "We all saw that coming and no one should read too much into last night's election results."

Virginia's governorship flipped from incumbent Republican to Democrat, as did seats on Georgia's Public Service Commission.

Johnson reserved his harshest comments for New York's mayor-elect.

"Zohran Mamdani is without a doubt the biggest win for socialism in the history of the country, and it is the biggest loss for the American people," he says.

Image source, Reuters

Newly elected Democrat Mikie Sherrill - who won the New Jersey governor race - has been speaking to CBS, the BBC's US partner.

She started her campaign by "listening to people", focusing on the key things that are making it "harder for them to succeed", she says.

Sherrill also spoke about rooting her Democratic campaign in "working class people" and "in our black and Latino communities" who depend on "good governance", "great education for kids" and "great jobs".

When asked about working with Donald Trump, Sherrill says she is "always happy to work with anyone who is going to deliver for the people of New Jersey". Trump previously told New Jersey residents that voting for Sherrill would "destroy your life".

Sherrill hopes to see "great resources" from the president in the coming months including the 2026 Fifa World Cup, which will be played at venues across the US.

Natalie Sherman
Reporting from the US Supreme Court

As Democrats are celebrating electoral wins in the US, President Donald Trump is hoping to rack up some good news for his agenda.

The US Supreme Court this morning will hear arguments challenging the legality of some of Trump’s most controversial tariffs - including sweeping global tariffs that he first announced in April.

The case, which was brought by a group of small businesses and states, is one of the most hotly anticipated legal battles of the year, threatening to upend the president’ approach to trade and international diplomacy.

It presents the court with the first major test of the Trump administration’s push to expand presidential power, asking the justices to decide whether an emergency declaration gives a president the authority to determine tariffs and taxes - responsibilities that the Constitution, America’s founding legal document, assigns to Congress.

Billions of dollars in tariff payments are on the line. Legal analysts say it’s not clear how the nine justices, three of whom were appointed by Trump, will rule.

We'll bring you updates and analysis of how the arguments play out and which way the justices could be swaying, so stick with us.

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, Mamdani's savvy use of social media was a part of his successful bid to become mayor.

We've taken a look back at some of the most memorable moments from his "chronically online" campaign.

Gen Z scavenger hunt

Back in August, the aspiring mayor put on a scavenger hunt around New York landmarks, parking himself at the final clue to hand out prizes.

His TikTok video announcing the hunt drew over two million views, and US media reported thousands of attendees.

Gay bar crawl in Brooklyn

To mark Halloween weekend, Mamdani visited six gay bars across Brooklyn.

Footage of the crawl, posted on his TikTok account, shows Mamdani meeting supporters in the queues, addressing crowds on stage and even getting behind the decks.

The TikTok has almost 700,000 views.

PinkPantheress concert

A week ago, Mamdani made a surprise appearance in the front row at a Brooklyn concert for pop star PinkPantheress, with the words "our time has come, vote Nov 4" written on his hands.

Footage of the moment shared by Billboard racked up over 300,000 views on Instagram.

A resurfaced rap video

While not made as part of his mayoral campaign, a resurfaced music video of Mamdani drove some big numbers on social media.

Posted on YouTube six years ago under his musician moniker Mr Cardamom, the rap video features Mamdani - wearing just an apron - rapping about his Nani, or grandmother.

It has almost 800,000 views.

Image source, YouTube/Mr Cardamom

Image source, Reuters

So we know the results of Tuesday's elections, but what exactly influenced voters?

An exit poll by the BBC's US partner CBS News, external, which asked voters a range of questions apart from how they voted, sheds light on some of the issues.

The Trump factor

Among the questions asked in the poll was this: Was Trump a factor in your vote?

According to the poll, the Trump factor was most influential in California, where a redistricting proposal was on the ballot.

There, 59% of voters answered yes. That figure was 54% in Virginia, 43% in New Jersey, and 40% in the New York mayoral race.

New York race

The poll also sheds some light on the make-up of Mamdani's coalition. He won 78% of voters under 30, and 77% of liberal voters.

More than half of those surveyed who said they were renters or college graduates also voted for him.

New Jersey and Virginia

The poll also indicates the economy was a major issue for voters casting their ballots for governor in New Jersey and Virginia.

In Virginia, voters who said the economy was most important voted for Abigail Spanberger over Winsome Earle-Sears by more than 20 points.

Image source, Reuters

In his first interview since being elected, Zohran Mamdani tells ABC that his victory gives him a mandate to pursue an "ambitious affordability agenda", aiming to transform "the most expensive city" in the US into "one that's affordable".

Asked if he can do that without putting up taxes, he says he will need to raise them for the "top 1% of New Yorkers".

Mamdani plans to introduce a flat tax of 2% for New Yorkers who make more than $1m (£770,000) per year. He also plans to raise the corporate tax rate in New York to 11.5%, matching the top end of New Jersey's range. He says this will raise around $9bn.

Asked if this will drive job creators out of the city, Mamdani says workers are already leaving due to the high cost of childcare, making it hard for businesses to retain talent.

Before the election, US President Donald Trump threatened to cut federal funding to the city if Mamdani won.

Mamdani says he is prepared to stand up to the president if he decides to harm New York City.

"His threats are inevitable," Mamdani says.

If the Democrats get into power "it's going to be a very bad situation", Trump says.

Trump tells the senators that "if we do what I'm saying" the Democrats will never attain power, because he'll pass lots of legislation "that is good for the country".

With this, the public part of his speech at the breakfast with senators ends.

Image source, White House

Trump continues to talk about the current US government shutdown, calling it one which is "disastrous Democrat-created".

He points out that the shutdown, which began on 1 October, is now the longest in American history.

Continuing to attribute blame, he says "Democrat radicals" in the Senate have shown "zero interest" in reopening government.