Ugandan-born Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani is the clear front-runner ahead of Tuesday’s New York City Mayoral Election.

If the 34-year-old State Assemblyman wins the race to run America’s most populous and wealthiest city, he will make history by becoming the first Muslim to do so.

Mamdani has run an electrifying campaign, using social media and his ability to speak multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic and Hindi, to appeal to a cross-section of Big Apple voters, which has propelled him to the front of the pack.

He faces off against former State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an Independent, after being handily defeated by Mamdani in the Democratic Primary in June.

Polling suggests Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa has little prospect of winning the mayoral race in a city well-established as a Democratic bastion.

Polls open at 6am local time and voters will be able to cast ballots until 9pm, with a result likely hours later.

Related Video | New York City mayoral candidates’ final push:

WATCH | New York City looks set to elect its first Muslim Mayor this week. The Ugandan-born Zohran Mamdani has maintained a dominant lead in all polling leading up to tomorrow’s election. More than 734,000 voters have already cast their ballots in early voting. pic.twitter.com/vS9wuMP3xz

— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 3, 2025