Cuomo, a former governor running as a centrist alternative, has positioned himself as the experienced hand capable of steadying the city, while Mamdani has leaned into his identity as a grassroots progressive championing structural reform<\/a> in what has become an unusually charged mayoral race.<\/p>\n Mamdani was averaging a 16.5-point lead on Cuomo across eight major surveys as of Thursday, according to polling aggregator RealClear<\/a> Polling. Newsweek has broken them down below.<\/p>\n Why It Matters<\/p>\n The 2025 mayoral race has been very ideologically divided. Mamdani, a state assemblyman, rose to prominence as a democratic socialist with backing from major progressive groups. Cuomo has sought to galvanize moderates and disaffected Democrats, casting Mamdani as inexperienced and \u201cradical.\u201d Sliwa, a longtime media personality and founder of the Guardian Angels, is running a law-and-order campaign that has remained largely stalled in the polls.<\/p>\n This election is also viewed as a bellwether for the national direction of the Democratic Party, as both Mamdani and Cuomo represent diverging visions for the future of urban governance.<\/p>\n Mamdani Holds Steady Lead<\/p>\n Polls released in the final stretch of the race show Democrat Zohran Mamdani maintaining a double-digit lead over independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, with Mamdani\u2019s average support at 46.6 percent, Cuomo\u2019s at 30.1 percent and Sliwa\u2019s at 16.5 percent.<\/p>\n A new survey by The Hill\/Emerson conducted from October 25 to 28 found Mamdani with 50 percent support, compared to 25 percent for Cuomo and 21 percent for Sliwa\u2014a 25-point margin.<\/p>\n Other recent polls show narrower, but still comfortable, advantages: Marist has Mamdani up by 16 points (48 percent on Cuomo\u2019s 32 percent and Sliwa\u2019s 16 percent), Quinnipiac and Suffolk by 10 (Quinnipiac: 43 percent on Cuomo\u2019s 33 percent and Sliwa\u2019s 16 percent, Suffolk: 44 percent over Cuomo\u2019s 34 percent and Sliwa\u2019s 11 percent) and Manhattan Institute by 15 (46 percent over Cuomo\u2019s 31 percent and Sliwa\u2019s 21 percent).<\/p>\n Victory Insights has given Mamdani an 18-point lead (47 percent over Cuomo\u2019s 29 percent and Sliwa\u2019s 16 percent) while AARP has Mamdani up 14 points (43 percent over Cuomo\u2019s 29 percent and Sliwa\u2019s 19 percent).<\/p>\n Fox News has Mamdani up by 24 points \u2013 53 percent compared to Cuomo\u2019s 28 percent and Sliwa\u2019s 14 percent.<\/p>\n Mamdani\u2019s strength in the race rests on a coalition of younger voters and communities of color that appears to be solidifying in the campaign\u2019s final days.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP25295848937188.jpg\"\/)
Mamdani\u2019s Base<\/p>\n