NEW YORK – The New York City mayoral race has tightened sharply, with Andrew Cuomo gaining significant ground on frontrunner Zohran Mamdani just over a week before Election Day.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
A new Quinnipiac University poll shows Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and self-described democratic socialist from Queens, leading with 44% of likely voters. Cuomo, running as an Independent after losing the Democratic primary, trails with 34%. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa stands at 11%, while other candidates and undecided voters make up the remainder.
The results come days after outgoing Mayor Eric Adams threw his support behind Cuomo, calling on voters to unite to prevent Mamdani from taking City Hall.
Pollsters noted Cuomo’s surge among Hispanic voters and independents, narrowing what was a 20-point deficit last month to just 10 points.
Cuomo has ramped up attacks on Mamdani, accusing him of dividing communities and offending New Yorkers with his anti-Israel rhetoric. “He’s not a victim — he’s the offender,” Cuomo said, referencing Mamdani’s controversial remarks about Israel and the NYPD.
Mamdani dismissed the criticism as “racist and Islamophobic,” saying Cuomo’s campaign is “built on fear, not solutions.”
Sliwa, who previously ran for mayor in 2021, faces mounting pressure from Republican leaders and business figures to drop out and consolidate support behind Cuomo. Polling data suggests most of Sliwa’s voters would back Cuomo in a two-way race.
If Mamdani prevails, he would become New York City’s first Muslim and first Millennial mayor. His campaign has drawn strong backing from progressives such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, along with a youthful base energized by his focus on affordability, free public college, and expanded social services.
Cuomo’s late momentum, however, has reshaped what was once seen as an easy Mamdani victory into one of the most unpredictable races in recent city history.
Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates