NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state lawmaker and self-described democratic socialist, held an early lead over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral contest on Tuesday, though the final outcome is unlikely to be known until at least next week.

With an estimated 87 percent of the preliminary ballots counted, Mamdani was the top choice of 43.6 percent of voters, according to the Associated Press. Cuomo, a 67-year-old political veteran who is attempting a comeback four years after resigning as governor amid sexual harassment allegations, was at 36.2 percent, with nine other candidates trailing.

New York uses ranked-choice voting that allows citizens to pick up to five candidates in order of preference, a system that calls for multiple rounds of vote counting if no candidate reaches 50 percent in the initial tally.

The first results of those additional rounds are not expected until July 1, when absentee and late-arriving mail ballots will also be included, according to election officials.

Polls suggested the race had become a two-man competition between Cuomo, who served 10 years as governor before stepping down in 2021, and Mamdani, a relative unknown who has been in the state assembly only since 2021.

The victor will become the favorite to take the general election in a city where Democrats dominate. Their differences were clear: Cuomo, a moderate backed by the establishment, or Mamdani, a progressive newcomer who promised a break with the past.

The current mayor, Eric Adams, will also appear on the November ballot as an independent, but a series of corruption scandals and his perceived ties to Republican President Donald Trump have weakened his standing.

The Republican candidate is Curtis Sliwa, a radio host best known as the founder of the Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol who lost to Adams in 2021.

Five months into Trump’s tumultuous second term, the election result offers an early read on the direction Democrats believe the party should take.

“The outcome of this race could show whether NYC voters feel that more centrist policies ... or a broader socio-political movement is the path forward for Democrats nationally,” Basil Smikle, a political analyst and professor at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, told Reuters.

For some voters, Mamdani represented a chance to usher in a new era for the party.

“I think it’s time for somebody young, a person of color, something different,” Ignacio Tambunting, a 28-year-old actor, told a Reuters reporter outside a polling station in Manhattan after putting Mamdani atop his ballot.

Other voters were willing to overlook, if not forgive, the misconduct accusations against Cuomo, as well as allegations that he misled the public during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, in favor of choosing an experienced hand.

“Cuomo has a track record of showing a consistent ability to get things passed,” Nicolas G. Baldwin, a 27-year-old teacher at a private school, told a Reuters reporter outside a poll site at the Metropolitan Museum in Manhattan’s Upper East Side on Tuesday, when voters endured temperatures reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

Cuomo was the only name he marked on his ballot.

“I’m judging them for their job, not necessarily for their ethics,” he said.

Cuomo has denied the harassment accusations, which he has characterized as ill-conceived attempts to be affectionate or humorous.

SELF-DESCRIBED DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST

Cuomo has accused Mamdani of lacking the experience required, while Mamdani has attacked Cuomo over the harassment allegations.

Cuomo, who emerged as a vocal critic of Trump during his first term as president, has won the endorsements of former President Bill Clinton and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Born in Uganda to a family of Indian descent, Mamdani, a Muslim, has a history of pro-Palestinian activism.

A self-described democratic socialist, Mamdani was elected to a state assembly seat in New York’s Queens borough and has garnered the support of US Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, two prominent progressives.

In ranked voting, the last-place candidate is eliminated after each round, and their votes are redistributed to the second choice marked on the ballots of their supporters. The process is repeated until one candidate achieves 50 percent of the total.

The system could give the biggest boost to Mamdani, who cross-endorsed New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. Both progressives urged their supporters to rank the other as second choice.

Lander, who was third on Tuesday with 11.6 percent of ballots, caught the public’s eye last week when he was briefly detained while escorting a defendant out of an immigration court.