The mayor-elect built his campaign around rent affordability. But the same issue applies across the country, according to experts — and the many people struggling to pay their rent each month.

Zohran Mamdani wasted little time as mayor-elect of New York City 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.

Duwaji went all black for the occasion. She wore a sleeveless denim top by Palestinian-Jordanian designer Zeid Hijazi featuring laser-etched embroidery, described by the brand as “a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional washing techniques.”

As of 6 p.m., about 1.85 million people, including early and mail-in voters, had cast ballots in the hotly contested race among Zohran Mamdani, Andrew M. Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa. Polls close at 9 p.m.

Andrew Cuomo conceded the New York mayoral election to Zohran Mamdani as crowd booed. Niki Gunter. More Videos. Zohran Mamdani addresses Trump in speech after mayoral race win

Voters in states across the country cast ballots in the first election since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.