![\"NYC](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/MixCollage-08-Oct-2025-02-41-PM-3338.jpg\" "\\"NYC")
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Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa (left), Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, and former Gov. and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo.<\/p>\n
Photos by Lloyd Mitchell<\/p>\n
New York City\u2019s 2025 mayoral election<\/a> is less than two weeks away now \u2014 with early voting starting this Saturday, Oct. 25. As a fall chill settles over the five boroughs, not much has changed in the polls \u2014 though the heat is turning up on one candidate to shake the race up in a big way.<\/p>\n Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, holds a strong lead in all major polls<\/a>, topping independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa consistently by double digits.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cuomo, who served 2 1\/2 terms as governor before resigning amid allegations of sexual harassment that he has always denied, is running a revamped independent campaign after suffering a surprise blowout loss to Mamdani in the June Democratic primary.\u00a0<\/p>\n The former governor, polling second to Mamdani, is far behind in most general election polls and struggling to capitalize further after a slight bump in polling following Mayor Eric Adams\u2019 departure from the race in September<\/a>.<\/p>\n As his campaign stagnates, Cuomo is sticking to his strategy of attacking Mamdani, arguing that he is the only candidate with the management and political experience required to be mayor.<\/p>\n But, he\u2019s added a new strategy in his final push \u2014 publicly pleading with Sliwa to drop his bid.\n<\/p>\n Cuomo courts Republicans, pushing Sliwa to get out<\/p>\n Since a heated mayoral debate on Thursday, Cuomo has repeated the line, \u201cA vote for Curtis Sliwa is really a vote for Zohran Mamdani,\u201d on various radio shows and TV appearances, acknowledging that \u201cthe math is tricky\u201d for a Cuomo victory unless Sliwa drops out.<\/p>\n Though he has repeatedly emphasized that he is a \u201clifelong Democrat,\u201d Cuomo has taken to courting Republican voters who, more than they want to see a Republican win, hope to see Mamdani lose. Republicans make up only 11% of the New York City electorate, according to the Campaign Finance Board<\/a>. Almost two-thirds of registered voters in the five boroughs are Democrats.<\/p>\n When reached for comment, Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi pointed amNewYork to Cuomo\u2019s Tuesday media appearances, in which he has continued to plead with the Republican nominee to drop his bid and back Cuomo\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n On a morning WABC 77 radio segment with host Sid Rosenberg, Cuomo indicated that he would be \u201cinterested in\u201d the prospect of offering Sliwa a position in his potential administration if the Republican dropped out.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have horns,\u201d Cuomo joked on the show. \u201cI need your voters to vote for me.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Still, the math is indeed \u201ctricky\u201d for Cuomo.\n<\/p>\n The 13 most recent polls<\/a> conducted since mid-August all show Mamdani winning by at least 11 percentage points, with some projecting a win by 20 points or more. The Assembly member is consistently polling between 40% and 50%, while Cuomo is seeing predictions between 24% and 33% and Sliwa is scoring in the teens.<\/p>\n A Gotham poll sponsored by the AARP released Monday shows Mamdani and Cuomo in a close race in a hypothetical one-on-one, with Mamdani topping Cuomo by 4% in a poll with a 4% margin of error.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, even if Sliwa opts to drop his bid, he will remain on the ballot \u2014 as will Adams.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Sliwa has reiterated that he has no intention of dropping out of the election. The founder of the vigilante group Guardian Angels and an animal rights activist, Sliwa ran unopposed in the Republican primary and has shown no public interest in ceding the campaign to help Cuomo.<\/p>\n \u201cI suggest Andrew Cuomo come off his high horse,\u201d Sliwa told reporters<\/a> Monday morning when asked about the calls from Cuomo to drop out. \u201cIf he wants to win this election, go out and campaign for your voters.\u201d<\/p>\n Spokespeople for Sliwa and Mamdani did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.\n<\/p>\n Expert sees election \u2018glide\u2019 for Mamdani<\/p>\n Democratic strategist Trip Yang said Mamdani \u201clooks to have a glide path to City Hall right now.\u201d<\/p>\n