New York mayoral election results: Zohran Mamdani wins
The Democrats also had major victories in elections held elsewhere in the US on Tuesday, with moderate candidates Abigail Spanberger claiming victory as governor of Virginia and Mikie Sherrill winning the gubernatorial race in New Jersey.
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Mamdani campaigned chiefly on addressing New York’s affordability problems, particularly for working-class New Yorkers. He plans to build social housing, freeze rents on rent-stabilised apartments, make buses free and introduce universal free childcare for all children under five.
Mamdani pledged to pay for his promises by levying a 2 per cent city income tax on anyone earning more than $US1 million a year ($1.5 million), raising a predicted $US4 billion a year, and raising the top corporate tax rate from 7.5 per cent to 11.5 per cent – the same as neighbouring New Jersey.
His critics had drawn attention to his past support for the “defund the police” movement, and queried his commitment to keeping the city safe. They had also pointed to his remarks about Israel and refusal to condemn the phrase “globalise the intifada”.
Mamdani walked back from those positions in the campaign, and said he intended to retain the city’s hardline police commissioner, Jessica Tisch.
More to come
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