Given his record and personal shortcomings, it is easy to see why New York voters would reject Andrew Cuomo. But Mamdani embodies all of the usual awful cliches about progressives–defund the police, freeze rents, etc. In addition, he has no obvious qualifications to run New York except youth and enthusiasm. This was a battle between bad and worse, and worse won.
It isn’t clear that Mamdani will prevail in the general election. If he does, two results are guaranteed. First of all, Trump and the GOP will have an even better foil that Gavin Newsom. We will be hearing all about the New York hellhole for the next few years. Second, Mamdani’s record will have a major impact on the blue team primaries in 2028. If, against all the odds, he is perceived to be a success, it will help the progressive candidates; if not, the centrists will use him against the left.