I had it all wrong. I had it exactly reversed: I saw Andrew Cuomo getting about 46 or 47 percent of the vote in round one and Mamdani getting about 34 or 35 percent.
Perhaps the Democrats will learn something from this and see there is an appetite for so-called "extremist" candidates. The tide is rising and a rising tide lifts all boats. It makes little sense for the Democrats to keep saying things that are the equivalent of "that's not how salt water works!" or "people will not accept the water."
I doubt they will learn much other than figure out ways to court wealthy donors around all this. "A leftist, socialist won the party's nomination because you only donated 25 million dollars. Do better!"
Both parties are corporate but at least in the Democrats you might still have a semi-peaceful life under such a regime, at least until capitalism fails, then it will be small-arms warfare for resources - very much like that old sci-fi TV show Falling Skies.
Socialism isn't such a dirty word anymore. But I wonder how much of this interpretation is just my bias? It could just be that people like Mamdani because he isn't a sexual harasser. Or perhaps because his style is not traditional politician nor is it Blue Trump style, like Cuomo. In the debates, Cuomo showed he had a recognition of the distaste for "Blue Trump" rhetoric, that was very clear. However he has been riding that for so long, old habits can die hard. Old identifications die even harder!
I do love this framing from The Daily Mail about the Mamdani victory. Apparently these identifications still cause the heart to quicken and panic to set in for many!