ZOHRAN MAMDANI won the vote to become the Mayor of New York City in Tuesday’s election.

Mr Mamdani made history as the city’s first Muslim mayor, its first leader of South Asian heritage and the first born in Africa.

In a turnout of two million, the biggest since 1969, Mr Mamdani won about 50.4 per cent of the vote against former State Governor Andrew Cuomo — who ran as an independent — coming in second with about 41.6 per cent. Republican Curtis Sliwa was far behind with just over 7 per cent.

In a night of victories for the Democrats where they won governor elections in New Jersey, with Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, it is the victory for Mr Mamdani in the US’s largest city that is the most notable.

Mr Mamdani wasted little time as the city’s mayor-elect before making clear that he sees part of his new role as standing up to the president of the United States, who had threatened not only to defund the city if he won but also to arrest and deport him.

Mr Mamdani, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, addressed President Donald Trump directly from the stage at his victory party in Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

President Trump has threatened to slash federal funding to the city and mount an outright takeover if Mr Mamdani won the election.

“Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up,” he said, before declaring, “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.”

Mr Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became a naturalised US citizen after graduating from college, 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.

“So hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us.”

President Trump posted to social media as Mr Mamdani spoke: “And so it begins!”

Wacef Chowdhury, a volunteer for the Mamdani campaign, said he fully anticipated that President Trump would attempt to retaliate over the election result.

He said: “We fought back the Establishment and we’re going to do the same to the president.”

Mr Mamdani’s plans for New York include universal childcare, making city buses free and freezing the rent for 1 million rent-stabilised tenants in the city.