Mayor Bill de Blasio won re-election in the New York City mayor's race on Tuesday night, NY1 projections show.
"They said things would go in the wrong direction. Well, they were wrong," de Blasio said to supporters. "You saw some important changes in the past four years, but you ain't seen nothing yet."
With 99.9 percent of precincts reporting as of 1:44 a.m. Wednesday, de Blasio led 66.5 percent to Republican challenger Nicole Malliotakis's 27.8 percent. In terms of total votes, de Blasio has 726,361 to Malliotakis's 303,742.
"Although we did not win this election, we were loud and clear in showing that the status-quo must end, and that there are many people — thousands of people across this city — that deserve to be heard," Malliotakis said in her concession speech.
Malliotakis will return to her position of state assemblywoman for Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn.
The GOP candidate for mayor told NY1 that she left a voicemail for de Blasio, congratulating him on his win.
Reform Party candidate Sal Albanese is currently in third place with 2.1 percent of the vote, followed by Akeem Browder (1.4 percent), Michael Tolkin (1 percent), Bo Dietl (1 percent), and Aaron Commey (0.2 percent).
De Blasio is the first Democratic mayor to win re-election in the city since Ed Koch.
De Blasio was heavily favored to win the race, holding double-digit leads over Malliotakis for the entire race.
The mayor's lead decreased in the latest NY1/Baruch College City Poll, but he was still up by at least 30 percentage points heading into Election Day.
De Blasio touted some of his policies during his victory speech Tuesday night, including universal pre-k, but said New York City still needs to become a fairer city and intends to make it the fairest big city in America.
The mayor also took aim at President Trump and touted Democratic victories in governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey on Tuesday.
"America got a little fairer tonight, America got a little bluer tonight," de Blasio said to his supporters. "Let's cheer so they can hear us in New Jersey. Let's cheer so they can hear us in Virginia. And tonight, New York City sent a message to the White House as well. Our message was this: You can't take on New York values and win, Mr. President."
Among the mayor's campaign promises were the preservation or creation of 300,000 units of affordable housing in the city, a vow to close down Rikers Island within 10 years, and a plan to open 90 homeless shelters in the five boroughs.
De Blasio is slated to be inaugurated on Jan. 1.
Polls closed at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Citywide candidates made a final push Tuesday morning to garner last-minute votes.
De Blasio was at the Park Slope Library to cast his vote earlier in the morning, joined by his wife, First Lady Chirlane McCray.
De Blasio said he's hoping he can put the Democrats on a more progressive path.
"I think it means we need to be more re-connected to grassroots. We need a clear and progressive message and a message about changing people economic reality. We tried to do that with things like the affordable housing plan, the rent freezes, the efforts to give people lawyers to stop eviction, pre-k, after school, paid sick leave. Things that actually effect people's everyday lives," de Blasio said.
"Corruption, pay-to-play, mismanagement, deteriorating quality of life, of a homeless crisis, broken subways or if they want to take our city in a different direction," Malliotakis said Tuesday morning, trying to make a last-minute push to voters.
Both candidates held Election Night parties in Brooklyn. De Blasio's was held at the Brooklyn Museum, while Malliotakis's was at the William Vale Hotel.