New York has followed London in choosing hope over fear in electing Democrat Zohran Mamdani as the city’s new mayor, London mayor Sadiq Khan has said.
Mr Mamdani, 34, defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa on Tuesday to become the city’s first Muslim mayor and the first of South Asian heritage.
Congratulating Mr Mamdani on what he called an “historic campaign” on social media, Sir Sadiq said: “New Yorkers faced a clear choice – between hope and fear – and just like we’ve seen in London – hope won.”
But education secretary Bridget Phillipson said, “I don't follow American politics especially closely” when asked about Mr Mamdani’s victory.
“l’ll follow the big stories... I'll follow, you know, the activities of the US government. I’ll follow what President Trump has to say”, she told Sky News.
Ms Phillipson added, “I’ve seen a bit of it online. [Mr Mamdani] fought a good campaign, if he’s managed to secure such support.”
US president Donald Trump threw his weight behind Mr Cuomo, a former Democrat running as an independent, and threatened to cut federal funding to New York if Mr Mamdani triumphed.
In his victory speech, Mr Mamdani – who will become New York’s youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office on 1 January – said: “New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and as of tonight, led by an immigrant.
“If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.”
The city’s Board of Elections said the vote had seen the largest turnout in more than 50 years, with more than 2 million people casting ballots.
New Yorkers faced a clear choice - between hope and fear - and just like we've seen in London - hope won.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) November 5, 2025
Huge congratulations to @ZohranKMamdani on his historic campaign.
Sir Sadiq’s backing of Mr Mamdani comes after a long-running war of words between the London mayor and Mr Trump.
The US president has repeatedly attacked Sir Sadiq since 2015, when the Labour politician condemned the then-presidential hopeful’s suggestion that Muslims should be banned from travelling to the US.
During Mr Trump’s state visit to the UK in September, the president said Sir Sadiq was “among the worst mayors in the world” and claimed he had asked that the mayor not attend events during the visit.
And addressing the UN General Assembly, the US president claimed Sir Sadiq wanted to impose sharia law on London.
Hitting back, the London mayor dubbed Donald Trump “racist, sexist, misogynistic” and “Islamophobic” in the latest in a long-running war of words between the feuding pair.
“People are wondering what it is about this Muslim mayor who leads a liberal, multicultural, progressive, successful city that means I appear to be living rent-free inside Donald Trump’s head”, he said.
Asked whether the US president’s remarks were Islamophobic, the mayor said: “Listen, when people say things, when people act in a certain way, when people behave in a certain way, you’ve got to believe them.
“I think President Trump has shown he is racist, he is sexist, he is misogynistic, and he’s Islamophobic.”
