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HAMILTON, Canada

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded defeat in the New York City Democratic primary Tuesday night, well-positioning front-runner Zohran Mamdani to become the city's first Muslim mayor.

"Tonight, we made history," Mamdani told ecstatic supporters just over an hour after Cuomo's shock concession. "We have won because New Yorkers have stood up for a city they can afford, a city where they can do more than just struggle, where those who toil in the night can enjoy the fruits of their labor in the day, where hard work is repaid with a stable life."

Mamdani said that if he secures the mayorship, he will use the powerful office "to reject (President) Donald Trump's fascism" and will seek to "govern our city as a model for the Democratic party, a party where we fight for working people with no apology."

Unofficial results showed Mamdani with 43.51% of first-round votes, holding an over 7-point lead over Cuomo, who stands at 36.42%. The final results will be determined via ranked-choice tabulations, expected next Tuesday.

Cuomo said at a campaign rally that he called Mamdani to congratulate him, telling his supporters: "Tonight was not our night. Tonight was Assemblyman Mamdani's night."

Despite the concession, Cuomo left open the possibility of an independent run in the general election.

"I want to applaud the Assemblyman for a really smart and good and impactful campaign. Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won, and we're going to take a look. We'll make some decisions, but I love each and every one of you, and I thank you," he added.

The Democratic primary in New York City is widely seen as the most decisive step toward winning the mayoralty, as the city leans heavily Democratic. The winner of the primary will go on to face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent after a major falling out with the Democratic Party, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in the November general election.

Mamdani gained support from voters by focusing on bread-and-butter issues, particularly housing affordability and the rising cost of living in America's most populous city.

The rising progressive star received key endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the final weeks of the campaign as he gradually ate into Cuomo's former lead across most polls.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a Jewish fellow progressive who forged an alliance with Mamdani to eat into Cuomo's once-significant polling lead, said that Mamdani is now well-positioned to become the Democratic nominee.

"This much is clear: We are sending Andrew Cuomo back to the suburbs," Lander said at his election night party. "With our help, Zohran Mamdani will be the Democratic nominee for the mayor of the City of New York, and we are on a path to win a city that all New Yorkers can afford and where everyone belongs."

Cuomo, 67, had attempted a political comeback nearly four years after resigning in disgrace as New York governor in the midst of a sexual harassment scandal.

Mamdani, 33, was born in Uganda and moved to New York at the age of 7. He is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science and holds a degree in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College. He became a US citizen in 2018 and was elected to the State Assembly in 2020.

*Michael Hernandez contributed to this story from Washington