Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont has praised New York City’s Mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat, for achieving a stunning victory that defied the local Democratic establishment in the city.

“Starting at just 1% in the polls, @ZohranKMamdani has accomplished one of the most remarkable political upsets in recent American history,” Sanders shared in a post on X, accompanied by a photo of himself with Mamdani.

“Indeed, we can establish a government that serves the interests of working people rather than the top 1%. I am eager to collaborate with Zohran as he endeavors to create a city that benefits everyone,” Sanders added.

Mamdani’s victory marks him as the youngest individual to assume the mayoral position in New York City, and he becomes the second democratic socialist to lead the nation’s most populous city. His campaign, which gained momentum over former Governor Andrew Cuomo, focused on initiatives like city-operated grocery stores, complimentary childcare, and other cost-reducing strategies for families.

The newly elected mayor highlighted that his campaign success was rooted in direct voter engagement across all five boroughs, emphasizing personal connections with the city’s residents.

“When we launched this campaign, we said we wanted to knock on one million doors across the five boroughs by the June primary. Some people laughed,” Mamdani wrote in a statement on X, hours before polls closed.

“You got to work. We hit 1.6 million. In the general, we said let’s do it again. Another million. We just passed three,” he added.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commended his efforts.

“More people voted in New York City’s election this year than they have in 50 years. That’s a win for democracy, and a testament to @ZohranKMamdani’s inspiring campaign,” Clinton wrote in a statement on X.

“Congratulations to the next mayor of the greatest city in the world.”