NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani defied the odds, defeating former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday night and becoming mayor in an election that saw 2 million voters cast ballots.

Just months ago, when Mamdani entered the race, he was polling in the single digits and few believed he could defeat Cuomo.

In the end, Mamdani defeated him twice.

And in a year when Democrats have largely been floundering, Mamdani electrified the party and managed to draw new voters to the polls too.

So why did he win so decisively?

Here are five reasons:

Affordability trumped all

While Cuomo focused his primary campaign on issues like crime and safety, Mamdani homed in on affordability in a city that has long been viewed as way too expensive. And his campaign ran so hard on that issue, it became synonymous with his campaign from start to finish.

At campaign rallies, Mamdani frequently stood in front of signs reading, “A City We Can Afford.” A visit to his website also plainly states that Mamdani is “running for Mayor to lower the cost of living for working class New Yorkers.” His supporters also carried........

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