New York City mayoral polls underway

Voting has kicked off in New York City to pick a new mayor in a race standing out for its three-way dynamic with progressive, establishment and conservative candidates vying for control of the largest city in the United States.

Opinion polls show Democrat Zohran Mamdani holding a clear lead over independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, Al Jazeera reports. 

Zohran Kwame Mamdani is a 34-year-old New York State assembly member. Born in Uganda and raised in New York, the self-described democratic socialist the son of academic Mahmood Mamdani and Indian filmmaker Mira Nair.

He was elected from the 36th district, representing Astoria, Queens, in the 2020 New York State Assembly election.

In June, Mamdani won New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary in a surprising upset over Cuomo, who now runs as an independent following his loss. If Mamdani wins Tuesday’s election, he will become the first Muslim, Indian-origin mayor in New York City’s history.

The son of a former governor, Cuomo has an extensive resume. He served as US secretary of housing and urban development and as New York attorney general, before becoming the state’s governor in 2011.

Cuomo resigned in 2021 after a sexual harassment scandal but this year he sought to make a political comeback by running for the city, aiming to rebuild alliances with politicians who called on him to step down a few years ago.

After losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, the 67-year-old announced he would run as an independent.

Curtis Silwa rose to prominence in 1979 as the leader of the Guardian Angels, a volunteer crime-fighting group that became famous for its patrols of the New York City subway system.

Supporters hail the Republican candidate, 71, as an emblem of New Yorkers stepping up when city administration fails.

Polls open at 6am (11:00 GMT) and close at 9pm (02:00 GMT on Wednesday).